Archaeologists in Serbia are examining the remains of what they say is a 13-metre-long river ship at the site of the Roman camp known as Viminacium, the capital of the ancient province of Moesia Superior.
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00:00 Archaeologists in Serbia are hard at work excavating the Viminacium site near the town
00:05 of Kostolak, where local coal miners found the remains of an ancient Roman ship earlier
00:09 this month.
00:10 Brushing the soil and sand off the wood, they unearthed the planks of a preserved riverboat,
00:15 some 13 metres long and 3.5 metres wide.
00:18 Located at the Drumno Mine, 95 kilometres east of Belgrade, researchers are rushing
00:24 to preserve what is left of the vessel.
00:26 "It is very difficult to find organic material in Serbia, especially when it is not in the
00:33 water.
00:34 We were lucky to find a preserved riverboat on a layer of planks, 7 metres deep."
00:41 "It was not found in its entirety, but the wood is in good condition, so it looks excellent."
00:51 The ship has been transferred to the nearby archaeological centre, where further research
00:56 continues.
00:57 "We moved it and buried it in the sand, so that the wood would not dry out.
01:06 Wood is one of the most delicate materials, and if it dries out, it falls apart.
01:13 So this is how we preserve wood."
01:17 This latest discovery is believed to have been part of a river fleet that once served
01:21 the city of Viminacijum.
01:23 Similar vessels have been discovered in the area and are believed to have either sunk
01:27 or been abandoned.
01:28 Experts say the ship may date back as far as the 3rd or 4th century AD, but are still
01:33 investigating.
01:34 "The samples were sent last week to the laboratory in Hungary, and we expect to get results in
01:40 about two, two and a half months.
01:43 Then there will be no more doubts."
01:45 To fund the dig, archaeologists are hoping to secure financial support from the Serbian
01:49 government.
01:51 They aim to showcase their discoveries in a museum close to their research centre in
01:55 Kostolak.
01:58 Archaeologists have been working at Viminacijum since 1882, and researchers estimate that
02:03 just 5% of the 450 hectare site has so far been excavated.
02:08 [WHOOSH]