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| Credit : Croatian Conservation Institute(HRZ) |
Around 2,300 years ago, a vessel sank in Gnjilna Bay near the Croatian island of Vis. Underwater excavations conducted between 2023 and 2025 have now revealed preserved wooden planking, ancient coins and rare Greek ceramics, including black-coated vessels marked with inscriptions that may have identified their owners.
The Discovery
The wreck lies near Komiža, on Vis, in the eastern Adriatic Sea. Before the recent investigation, archaeologists had identified only a small number of fragments from ancient transport jars in the area. Excavations beneath the water between 2023 and 2025 exposed a much more substantial archaeological deposit.
The Croatian Conservation Institute, whose Department of Underwater Archaeology is leading the investigation, reports that the remains include part of the vessel’s wooden structure, ship equipment, coins, animal bones and a varied collection of ceramic objects.
The ship is thought to date to the fourth or third century BC, placing it within the Hellenistic period, when Greek communities and settlements played an important role in Mediterranean and Adriatic exchange.
Among the most intriguing discoveries are pottery vessels bearing marks scratched into their surfaces after manufacture. Researchers believe some of these inscriptions may be abbreviated personal names. If that interpretation proves correct, the markings could offer clues about individuals connected with the vessel, rather than simply the goods it transported.
The evidence does not yet establish the identities of the people who owned the objects, or whether the inscriptions can be linked to named individuals. Nevertheless, the possibility that the markings identified personal possessions gives the wreck a human dimension beyond its value as a record of ancient maritime trade.
What Archaeologists Found
The excavation has produced an unusually varied assemblage. Archaeologists recovered drinking cups, plates, bowls and small vessels used for pouring liquids, including ceramics associated with wine consumption. The Croatian Conservation Institute has highlighted the rarity, quality and preservation of the Greek pottery.
Some vessels have a black-coated surface with inscriptions scratched into it. The marks appear to have been added after the pottery was made, leading researchers to consider whether they served as ownership labels.
The institute’s interpretation suggests that the objects may have belonged to a crew member of relatively high social standing. This remains a hypothesis, however, rather than a confirmed identification. The available report does not provide a deciphered list of names or establish the social position of any individual aboard the ship.
The cargo also included Corinthian Type B amphorae, large ceramic containers historically used to transport commodities such as wine and oil. Shipwrecks carrying this kind of Greek pottery are exceptionally rare along Croatia’s eastern Adriatic coast. According to the institute, only two other examples are known from the area.
The surviving wooden structure is another important component of the find. Archaeologists documented part of the keel and approximately 20 feet of wooden planking. Such remains can provide evidence about how ancient ships were assembled and maintained, although the reported discoveries do not yet establish a complete reconstruction of this vessel.
Coins and a lead component from the anchor also helped researchers assess the wreck’s date. Further excavation uncovered a coin from ancient Pharos, a Greek settlement on the nearby island of Hvar.
Together, the pottery, coins, ship components and other remains provide several different lines of evidence for investigating the vessel’s age and character.
Historical Background
The wreck’s proposed date places it in the fourth or third century BC, a period of active Greek settlement and exchange across parts of the Mediterranean and Adriatic. Greek communities on Vis and Hvar formed part of the regional setting in which ships carried goods, equipment and people between coastal settlements.
The presence of Corinthian Type B amphorae is particularly relevant because these containers were used to transport commodities including wine and oil. Their recovery provides evidence of the kinds of vessels associated with maritime movement during the period, although the exact route taken by this ship has not been established.
Ancient shipwrecks can preserve a combination of cargo, equipment and everyday objects that rarely survives together on land. Pottery can indicate the types of containers and tableware aboard a vessel, while coins may contribute to dating and the study of regional connections. Surviving timber can preserve details of construction that would otherwise be lost.
The Vis wreck is notable within this broader archaeological picture because its ceramic assemblage is described as both rare and well preserved. The reported scarcity of comparable wrecks carrying Corinthian Type B amphorae along the eastern Adriatic makes the site especially useful for studying ancient seaborne exchange in the region.
Scientific Analysis
Researchers initially assessed the shipwreck’s age by examining amphora fragments and a lead component from the anchor. The later discovery of a coin from Pharos provided an additional piece of chronological evidence.
These objects help archaeologists develop a dating framework, but the reported fourth- or third-century BC date remains an estimate. The source does not provide a more precise date for the vessel’s sinking or describe a final dating assessment based on all the recovered material.
The inscriptions on the black-coated pottery present a different analytical challenge. Researchers suspect that the scratched marks may be shortened personal names and that they were added to identify belongings. Confirming that interpretation would require careful examination of the marks and their context, alongside consideration of alternative explanations.
Even if the inscriptions do represent names, they may not identify the ship’s owner or a particular sailor conclusively. A mark can suggest ownership or association without revealing the precise relationship between an object and the person who used it.
The wooden remains also offer opportunities for investigation. The preserved keel section and planking may help researchers examine construction techniques, though the information currently available does not specify what the timber analysis has established.
Why This Discovery Matters
The wreck offers more than evidence of ancient transport. Its combination of Greek ceramics, amphorae, coins and surviving ship structure provides material for studying maritime technology and exchange during the Hellenistic period.
Its rarity is an important factor. With only two other known examples of shipwrecks carrying Corinthian Type B amphorae reported along Croatia’s eastern Adriatic coast, the Vis find adds a valuable comparison point for future research.
The possible ownership marks are especially compelling because they may connect artefacts to people. Much of the archaeological evidence from ancient trade concerns the movement of commodities between places. If the inscriptions can be interpreted more confidently, they could help researchers investigate how vessels and their contents were organised aboard ship.
But how much can a few scratched marks really tell us about the people who carried these objects? The answer depends on whether researchers can establish what the inscriptions mean and how the marked vessels were used.
For now, the markings remain suggestive rather than conclusive. Their significance lies in the possibility that they preserve traces of individual activity within a broader record of maritime trade.
What’s Next?
The investigation is being led by Jurica Bezak of the Croatian Conservation Institute’s Department of Underwater Archaeology, with assistance from diving centres on Vis.
The institute reports that the findings are contributing to research on ancient navigation, trade and life aboard ships during the period when Greek colonies were active on Vis and Hvar.
Further study of the inscriptions may help determine whether the markings correspond to abbreviated personal names. Additional analysis of the ceramics, coins and wooden remains could also refine understanding of the vessel and its place in regional maritime networks.
The available report does not specify a timetable for further excavation or publication of detailed analytical results. Until more evidence is released, the proposed connection between the inscriptions and sailors’ personal belongings should remain a carefully qualified interpretation.
Conclusion
The 2,300-year-old shipwreck in Gnjilna Bay has preserved a rare collection of Greek pottery, ancient coins and parts of a wooden vessel beneath the Adriatic Sea. Its Corinthian Type B amphorae make it an unusual discovery for Croatia’s eastern coast, while the surviving keel and planking offer evidence of ancient ship construction.
The scratched markings on several ceramic vessels may be even more revealing. If they represent abbreviated names used to identify personal possessions, they could provide a rare connection between archaeological objects and the people who travelled with them. For now, the identities and intentions behind those marks remain unknown, leaving researchers with an important question to investigate.
FAQ
1. Where was the ancient shipwreck discovered?
The wreck lies in Gnjilna Bay near Komiža, off the Croatian island of Vis in the Adriatic Sea. Archaeological excavations took place between 2023 and 2025.
2. How old is the shipwreck?
Researchers believe it dates to the fourth or third century BC, making it approximately 2,300 years old. The dating is based on finds including amphora fragments, a lead anchor component and a coin from ancient Pharos.
3. Did archaeologists identify the sailors who owned the pottery?
No individual sailors have been identified in the reported findings. Some scratched inscriptions may be abbreviated personal names, but that interpretation has not been confirmed.
4. Why is the pottery significant?
The wreck contains rare and well-preserved Greek ceramics, including Corinthian Type B amphorae. The institute reports only two other known shipwreck examples carrying this type of pottery along Croatia’s eastern Adriatic coast.
