The Maritime Transport of Sculptures in the Ancient Mediterranean

Abstract

Cover: A drawing by Brandon Braun representing fishermen dragging a sculpture out of the sea. This drawing is directly inspired by the votive relief dedicated by C. Fulvius Salvis, found close to the temple of Hercules in Ostia (Ostia Archaeological Museum Inv.No.157).

Delivering the Deep: Maritime archaeology for the 21st century: selected papers from IKUWA 7

“…Ancient Greek and Roman sculptures have been such objects, lost at sea and recovered from its depths throughout the centuries. From the sixteenth century until today, hundreds of ancient sculptures of various dates, types, sizes and materials have been retrieved from the Mediterranean seabed by early underwater explorers and archaeologists or simply by fishermen, sponge divers and recreational scuba divers (Velentza 2022). Given the special artistic value of these artefacts, sculptures from under water have been seen by scholars and the general public alike as exceptional objects evoking mystery, adventure and lost treasure.…”