Ruins of an ancient Roman harbor discovered along the coast of Slovenia

Wooden stakes and sails were found in almost original condition

Underwater archaeologists have discovered part of an ancient sail, wooden stakes and fragments of two ship masts at Fisina, a submerged Roman site off Slovenia’s Adriatic coast. The site’s sheltered location along the coast and the wooden structures documented there indicate it likely served as a Roman harbour, according to the researchers.

The remains of a Roman harbor were discovered by a research team from the Institute of Underwater Archeology at the University of Ljubljana (ZAPA) off the coast of the Slovenian city of Portorož.

Archaeologists found two ancient ship masts, several wooden stakes, parts of rigging and sails. They also discovered more than 3,000 fragments of Roman pottery, as well as fragments of imported amphorae, kitchen utensils and fine tableware dating back to the late antique period.

Wooden stakes were needed to form a barrier to protect the coastline. The two masts, more than three feet long and made from fir, are “unique examples on a global scale,” researchers told Artnet News.

Most of the pottery identified is sigallate, which was a popular type of red pottery mass produced in the first century AD. Often it had embossed decorative patterns. Most of the amphorae, kitchen utensils and shards of fine pottery were imported.

The wooden items will be preserved using melamine resin and, along with other items, will be stored in the Sergei Mashera Maritime Museum in Piran.

The port city was first inhabited during the Primitive Society. The Celtic tribes were conquered by the Roman Empire in 178 BC. Today Portorož is a major tourist center. The area where the artifacts were discovered, Benardin Beach, is protected and this has helped preserve the artifacts.

The excavations are part of a larger countrywide campaign to explore 30 miles of Slovenia’s coastline along the Adriatic Sea since 2017. However, according to ZAPA, the work was carried out in conditions of “consistently poor visibility”, which complicated the research.

Other Roman sites discovered in the area since 1998 include an ancient farming settlement beneath a modern petrol station and an ancient fish farm next to the old salt warehouses in 2004.

Based on research, it is possible that there was a small Roman harbor in the area between the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. The exploration of this site will continue.