July the 28th, 2025 – This archaeological find has been sitting under the surface of the sea, right under the very noses of the city’s residents. The remarkable 300 year old shipwreck was found in the Old Port of Dubrovnik, right at the very entrance to the Old City.
As Morski writes, during works being carried out on the city’s water infrastructure back during April this year, a wooden shipwreck from the 18th century was accidentally discovered in the old city port of Porat in Dubrovnik. Just how truly fantastic this discovery is is shown by the fact that the ship was quite literally under everyone’s nose for three centuries.
The find was recorded at a depth of just 60 to 80 centimetres below the seabed, and was found quite by chance by diver Ivan Bukelić. Bukelić is an underwater explorer and construction worker who was working as a substitute on the excavation in the old city port of Porat in Dubrovnik that day. The head of the research is the renowned archaeologist Irena Radić Rossi, an employee of the Department of Underwater Archaeology at the University of Zadar.
Radiocarbon analysis determined that the wood dates back to the late 18th century. The structure of the 300 year old shipwreck found in Dubrovnik was partially preserved thanks to the layer of sediment that covered it. The wreck is currently temporarily protected, and all the findings thus far have been documented. Further research and conservation will be carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture.
Archaeologist Irena Radić Rossi stated that at the moment, it isn’t possible to speak precisely about the type of ship it is, or its dimensions. She did say that radiocarbon dating analyses indicate that it dates from the end of the 18th century. She emphasised that the key goal of the current project is close cooperation with the Croatian Ministry of Culture, with the intention of protecting and researching the shipwreck for the future.
The remains will remain under special care, and further steps include in-depth research and possible restoration.
Ivan Bukelić and Toni Kuran are currently working on a project to digitise shipwrecks across the Adriatic inspired by the book Sunken Treasure of the Adriatic by Danijela Frka.
“This is my first discovery of an old ship. The magnitude of this discovery lies in the location itself, because the ship was found in the historic old port of Porat. We dug with the so-called mammoth suction hopper. At a depth of between 60-80 centimetres below the seabed, I first came across a regular shape of wood and it never occurred to me that it was actually a really old vessel that had sunk. I carefully dug it up and became increasingly aware that it was a wooden ship structure… I can’t tell you much about the size because it needs to be determined properly, but I can say that it isn’t a small vessel. After Irena Radić Rossi showed me what it actually was and what its archaeological value was, I actually became aware that it was actually an amazing discovery. The feeling is indescribable!” he concluded.
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