We
are looking for a sponsor to rescue tha ancient roman navy
which is in the sea of Caorle: contact Alfa.net
for further details.
The landscape of Caorle is unique in its kind, characterised
by a low-lying plain which unfolds gently down to the sea
broken by small lagoons. Upstream from the lagoons, slow moving
rivers and canals furrow the reclaimed lands, vast areas of
former marshland, made salubrious by the genius of Roman hydraulica
engineering. The landscape
of this reclaimed area took on its current appearance last
century, encouraging the establishment of extensive agriculture,
perfectly integrated in an environment of great charm. Evidence
from Roman, Medieval and Prehistoric times is being gradually
brought to light from the hinterland and sea. Near San Gaetano
in a reclaimed area near the lagoon, archaeological excavations
have unearthed a number of horn objects (including a fine
comb), a bronze axe and above all fragments of pottery (drinking
vessels, jars and dolia). This material, depending on the
type, has been divided into two groups, one dating from the
middle-recent and recent-modern bronze age (15th - 12th centuries
BC) and the other to the first iron age (9th to 8th century
BC). As well as this settlement of considerable importance
dating from the protohistoric age, Roman dwellings (country
villas) have also been identified, particularly along or near
the rivers, with the discovery of pottery, stamped bricks,
architectural fragments and strips of mosaic as well as sometimes
the remains of buildings in situ mostly dating from the 1st
century AD when, with the founding of the Julia Concordia
the territory south of the colony was becoming populated
. This has been confirmed by
the discovery of funeral necropoli and isolated funerary
altars. Under the subsoil of the old town of Caorle itself
lies the outline of city walls, sometimes fortified whit
towers dating from the MiddleAges as can be seen from an
excavation carried out in Via Roma which also unearthed
a considerable quantity of ceramics from the 16th century.
Medieval ceramics, crucibles and fragments of renaissance
ceramics have also been found in other sites in the hinterland.
On the coast of Caorle, evidence from pre-Roman, Roman and
Medieval times comes also and above all from the sea. With
the spread of amateur diving, the Mediterranean has become
the mare antico par excellence and the Adriatic Sea is
no exception to this exciting reality. In 1992, four divers
from Pordenone, Sandro Crovato, Mauro Moret, Alessio Roman
and Silvio Saccon reported to the Archaeological Commission
the discovery of a Roman wreck off Caorle. This is the wreck
known as Caorle 1, dating from the 2nd century BC. To date,
a number of wine amphorae of the Lamboglia 2 type have been
recovered from its cargo. So far, three campaigns have been
organised (1992-93, 1994 and 1995-96) to document the wreck
and protect it until it can be excavated and recovered.
However, many of the containers recovered during isolated
operations have very different characteristics covering
a chronologically long period from the 3rd century BC to
the 6th century AD
Tuttavia,
numerosi contenitori da trasporto, frutto di isolati recuperi,
presentano caratteristiche tipologiche molto diverse a coprire
cronologicamente un lungo periodo che va dal IIIsec. a.C.
al VI sec. d.C. Altri reperti interessanti recuperati dai
fondali del mare in tempi diversi sono due macine, di cui
si è conservata di entrambe la parte superiore (catillus),
vasellame vario da mensa facente parte probabilmente di un
corredo da cucina di una nave Iolle, brocche e coppette),
ceppi d'ancora in piombo di epoca romana; dei piccoli cannoni
nonché frammenti di ceramiche medievali e anche, nel giugno
1998, un frammento architettonico rinascimentale rinvenuto
da Angelo e Sergio Gallo. La raccolta consistente di attrezzi
e oggetti attinenti la vita marinara di varie epoche fa ritenere
che il mare di Caorle custodisca numerosi relitti di imbarcazioni
grandi e piccole, romane e post-classiche, e che future ricerche
e scoperte potranno chiarire il ruolo di questi tidi nella
storia delle rotte adriatiche.
This has been
confirmed by the discovery of funeral necropoli and isolated
funerary altars. Under the subsoil of the old town of Caorle
itself lies the outline of city walls, sometimes fortified
whit towers dating from the MiddleAges as can be seen from
an excavation carried out in Via Roma which also unearthed
a considerable quantity of ceramics from the 16th century.
Medieval ceramics, crucibles and fragments of renaissance
ceramics have also been found in other sites in the hinterland.
On the coast of Caorle, evidence from pre-Roman, Roman and
Medieval times comes also and above all from the sea. With
the spread of amateur diving, the Mediterranean has become
the mare antico par excellence and the Adriatic Sea is no
exception to this exciting reality. In 1992, four divers
from Pordenone, Sandro Crovato, Mauro Moret, Alessio Roman
and Silvio Saccon reported to the Archaeological Commission
the discovery of a Roman wreck off Caorle. This is the wreck
known as Caorle 1, dating from the 2nd century BC. To date,
a number of wine amphorae of the Lamboglia 2 type have been
recovered from its cargo. So far, three campaigns have been
organised (1992-93, 1994 and 1995-96) to document the wreck
and protect it until it can be excavated and recovered.
However, many of the containers recovered during isolated
operations have very different characteristics covering
a chronologically long period from the 3rd century BC to
the 6th century AD. Other interesting finds recovered from
the seabed at different times include two millstones (in
both cases, the upper section (catillus) has been preserved),
pottery tableware probably coming from the ship's galley
(jars, pitchers and drinking vessels), lead anchor stocks
from Roman times, small cannons and fragments of medieval
ceramics. In June 1996, a fragment of Renaissance architecture
was recovered by Angelo and Sergio Gallo. The large collection
of equipment and objects relating to life at sea in various
periods suggests that the sea of Caorle preserves numerous
relies from large and small, Roman and post-classical vessels
and that future research and discoveries could clarify the
role of this coastline in the history of Adriatic navigation
.
In November 1995, Vanni Vidotto and Roberto Bortoluzzo discovered
and reported to the Commission a new wreck, Caorle 2. This
is a military vessel the 19th century, 40 m long and 10 m
wide, probably sunk during a battle. The naval architecture
of the time is well illustrated by the copper-clad hull and
the excellent state al preservation of the plating. An initial
archaeological campaign was carried out in the late spring
of 1996 and a number of iron cannon balls were recovered.
The archaeological wealth of the Caorle region and above all
the prospects for research in the stretch of sea between the
mouths of the Piave and the Tagliamento have convinced the
Archaeological Commission for the Regione Veneto and Caorle
Town Council to launch a joint project for a new museum dedicated
to the underwater archaeology of the east Veneto. The Caorle
National Underwater Archaeological Museum will be based in
the Azienda Agricola Chiggiato, an important example of turn
of the century rural architecture. The Ministry for Cultural
and Environmental Assets Museum Design Centre in Rome has
prepared a preliminary plan for the museological organisation
while waiting to complete the final design. From next year,
this will be the base for research groups associated with
the ASVO (Undewater Archaeology in the East Veneto) and DAFNE
(River Archaeology in the North-East) projects currently operating
from the Caorle Town Library.
The landscape
of this reclaimed area took on its current appearance last
century, encouraging the establishment of extensive agriculture,
perfectly integrated in an environment of great charm. Evidence
from Roman, Medieval and Prehistoric times is being gradually
brought to light from the hinterland and sea. Near San Gaetano
in a reclaimed area near the lagoon, archaeological excavations
have unearthed a number of horn objects (including a fine
comb), a bronze axe and above all fragments of pottery (drinking
vessels, jars and dolia). This material, depending on the
type, has been divided into two groups, one dating from the
middle-recent and recent-modern bronze age (15th - 12th centuries
BC) and the other to the first iron age (9th to 8th century
BC). As well as this settlement of considerable importance
dating from the protohistoric age, Roman dwellings (country
villas) have also been identified, particularly along or near
the rivers, with the discovery of pottery, stamped bricks,
architectural fragments and strips of mosaic as well as sometimes
the remains of buildings in situ mostly dating from the 1st
century AD when, with the founding of the Julia Concordia
the territory south of the colony was becoming populated
no exception to this exciting reality. In 1992, four divers
from Pordenone, Sandro Crovato, Mauro Moret, Alessio Roman
and Silvio Saccon reported to the Archaeological Commission
the discovery of a Roman wreck off Caorle. This is the wreck
known as Caorle 1, dating from the 2nd century BC. To date,
a number of wine amphorae of the Lamboglia 2 type have been
recovered from its cargo. So far, three campaigns have been
organised (1992-93, 1994 and 1995-96) to document the wreck
and protect it until it can be excavated and recovered.
However, many of the containers recovered during isolated
operations have very different characteristics covering
a chronologically long period from the 3rd century BC to
the 6th century AD
In November 1995, Vanni Vidotto and Roberto Bortoluzzo discovered
and reported to the Commission a new wreck, Caorle 2. This
is a military vessel the 19th century, 40 m long and 10 m
wide, probably sunk during a battle. The naval architecture
of the time is well illustrated by the copper-clad hull and
the excellent state al preservation of the plating. An initial
archaeological campaign was carried out in the late spring
of 1996 and a number of iron cannon balls were recovered.
The archaeological wealth of the Caorle region and above all
the prospects for research in the stretch of sea between the
mouths of the Piave and the Tagliamento have convinced the
Archaeological Commission for the Regione Veneto and Caorle
Town Council to launch a joint project for a new museum dedicated
to the underwater archaeology of the east Veneto. The Caorle
National Underwater Archaeological Museum will be based in
the Azienda Agricola Chiggiato, an important example of turn
of the century rural architecture. The Ministry for Cultural
and Environmental Assets Museum Design Centre in Rome has
prepared a preliminary plan for the museological organisation
while waiting to complete the final design. From next year,
this will be the base for research groups associated with
the ASVO (Undewater Archaeology in the East Veneto) and DAFNE
(River Archaeology in the North-East) projects currently operating
from the Caorle Town Library.