1,300-Year-Old Byzantine Treasure Discovered in the Adriatic Sea
A Byzantine-era shipwreck discovered off the coast of Croatia likely carried a high-ranking official. Excavations have revealed over 600 grams of gold, including coins and a signet ring from the 7th or 8th century.
A shipwreck from the Byzantine era, discovered more than a decade ago on the seabed off the southern coast of Croatia, likely carried a high-ranking individual and their entourage. Underwater excavations that have been ongoing for several years suggest that the shipwreck can be dated to the 7th or 8th century AD, and the findings on board indicate that this was not a regular merchant vessel.
Pavle Dugonjić, head of the Department of Underwater Archaeology at the Croatian Conservation Institute, said that excavations revealed gold coins dating to the Heraclian dynasty, buckles decorated with rubies, emeralds, and pearls, and a gold signet ring with the image of Emperor Constantine IV, who ruled the empire from 668 until his death in 685. His team, equipped with diving gear, has spent the last decade gradually uncovering the history of the ship, whose remains are located near the island of Mljet — the southernmost and easternmost of the large islands in the Adriatic Sea.
"This is an impressive amount of gold, the largest ever found on a shipwreck in the entire Mediterranean. The total weight of the gold exceeds 600 grams," said Igor Miholjek, head of research at the Croatian Conservation Institute.
The Byzantine Empire was the eastern part of the Roman Empire that continued to exist after the fall of the western part, with its center being its capital, Constantinople, now Istanbul in Turkey. It was officially founded in the 4th century AD under the leadership of Emperor Constantine and existed for more than 1,000 years until its fall to the Ottomans in 1453. In the 8th century, the Byzantine Empire underwent a difficult and dramatic transition period of territorial contraction, comprehensive military reforms, and a deep religious crisis, which reshaped its character as a Greek-Eastern state.
"For me, this is the most important shipwreck of its period. Therefore, for researchers of the late Roman Empire and its transformation into the Middle Ages, this is a critical site for understanding and gaining insights into how the Mediterranean was tied together by its routes, how it broke apart, and how the entire empire fell apart," said archaeologist Dr. Justin Leidwanger from Stanford University.
