A
new study puts some finishing touches on the 2,300-year history of the
beak-like weapon that an ancient warship used to ram enemy ships in the
First Punic War, the conflict between ancient Rome and Carthage. The
report, in ACS’ journal Analytical Chemistry,
also identifies a major threat that conservators must address in
preserving this archaeological treasure for future generations.
Patrick
Frank and colleagues explain that the ram, called a rostrum, was found
in 2008 under 22 feet of water, 150 feet offshore from Acqualadrone
(which means “Bay of the Pirates”) in northeastern Sicily. The
Acqualadrone rostrum is bronze, with a wooden core that was preserved
because of burial beneath the seafloor. Carbon-14 dating suggests that
the warship sank around 260 B.C. after being damaged in the battle of
Mylae during the opening stages of the First Punic War, which may have
been among the largest wars of its time. Earlier research localized the
metals in the bronze to mines in Spain or Cyprus. The authors, from the
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University and the
University of Palermo, set out in the new research to learn more about
the origin and condition of the rostrum wood.
Their
analysis of the acids and other substances in the wood showed that the
strutwork of the Acqualadrone rostrum was pine, waterproofed with pine
tar. Other woods, like juniper and oak, and other ancient marine
sealants, like beeswax, were ruled out. Importantly, the research found
copious sulfur in the wood that could turn into sulfuric acid, an
extremely corrosive substance. Sulfuric acid is known to appear in
recovered wooden marine archaeological treasures and can threaten their
existence. The authors argue that iron and copper permeating the wood
may catalyze that transformation, but they suggest that removing ozone
from museum air could slow the conversion.
The
authors acknowledge funding from the Department of Energy Office of
Science, Department of Energy Office of Biological and Environmental
Research, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the
National Center for Research Resources and the National Institutes of
Health.
Source: American Chemical Society
