Very early shipwreck

In 1973 a wooden shipwreck was discovered near the ancient port of Sanitja on the island of Menorca. It was identified as a Phoenician or Punic ship. Over 150 Punic amphorae were still found in situ. It became known as the Binissafúller shipwreck, after a nearby beach. The amphorae have been dated between 325 and 275 BC, making the shipwreck the oldest documented wreck in the region.

Ecomuseum de Cavalleria

A photo of an excavation during the Sanisera Field School.

Historical background

Sanitja, along with the surrounding area, was conquered by the Romans in 123 BC, because of its ideal position as a natural anchorage on the north coast of Menorca. It had been a popular place for sailors before that, also for the Phoenicians.

The Punics, also called Western Phoenicians, were a group of western Semitic-speaking peoples from Carthage in Northern Africa who traced their origins to a group of Phoenician settlers, but also to North African Berbers. They were widely active in and around the Mediterranean, settling in various places.

N. C. De Juan

The Binissafúller shipwreck: a) plan of the hull remains (after De Juan, 2018: fig. 1); b) scheme of the lashed-frame assembly system (after De Juan, 2018: fig. 7).

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