Ses Fontanelles Shipwreck (Mallorca, Balearic Islands): An Exceptional Late Roman Vessel and Its Cargo

Abstract

This article summarises the results of the underwater rescue excavation of the shipwreck of Ses Fontanelles (Mallorca, Balearic Islands). The excavation documented the remains of a vessel, 12 m long and 5 m beam, loaded with two tiers of amphorae, which had set sail from the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. The cargo includes numerous amphorae which were still sealed and bearing tituli picti, allowing for the analysis of their content. There is little doubt that the shipwreck of Ses Fontanelles is a key site for our understanding of third–fourth-century trade in the Western Mediterranean.