 Alkedo on display in the Museum of Ancient Ships | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Alkedo |
| Status | Museum exhibit |
| General characteristics | |
| Length | 22 m (72 ft) |
Alkedo is a preservedRomanshipwreck that sank in the 1st century AD,[1] and was discovered during a construction project inPisa,Italy.
In 1998 construction began on a control center for the Rome-Genoa train line next toPisa San Rossore. During the project, a series of shipwrecks numbering about thirty were discovered, includingAlkedo.[2]
Constructed ofholm oak andpine, with an insert in the bow made ofoak, it was rowed by twelveoarsmen, and used as a pleasure craft.[a][1][4] The ship's nearly intact hull has been preserved well enough to make out the inscription on a tablet nailed to one of therower's benches; the inscription states the five letters that make up the word "ALK (E) DO". Translated fromLatin to mean "seagull", which is thought to be the name of the ship.[1][3] Traces of red and white were visible on the external sides of the ship during its excavation, which indicates it was once painted.[1] It is displayed next to a full size replica in theMuseum of Ancient Ships in Pisa, Italy.[2]
Media related toAlkedo (ship) at Wikimedia Commons