Roman Shipyard
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of what they think was a large shipyard at Porto in Italy, a few miles south of Rome and once an important harbour of the ancient city. The ruins were once a massive building that covered an area larger than a football field, and contained eight parallel bays that they believe were used to build and maintain warships and cargo vessels.
The building was uncovered on the site of the former imperial port of Portus, established by the Emperor Claudius and expanded during the reign of Trajan in the 2nd Century. The dig team initially thought the building was a warehouse, but their investigations indicate it may actually be the largest Roman ship building facility yet discovered.
Portus was Rome’s main harbour for more than 500 years and the conduit for the wealth of the empire, including slaves and wild animals shipped to the capital for games in the Colosseum.
Source: University of Southampton press release
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