Mazarrón

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In 1994, during the routine surveys that the then National Museum of Maritime Archaeology was conducting along the beach of the Isla de Mazarrón (Murcia), a number of cylindrical items that were protruding about 10 centimetres out of the sand were spotted. These items, identical to the timbers of the Mazarrón 1, raised the question of whether this was another wreck with identical characteristics.

A little exploration was carried out on the central part of the ship to evaluate the significance of the discovery. Thanks to this test, it was discovered that the vessel was sealed by a layer of Posidonia seaweed, confirming that it was an intact boat from pre-Roman times. The vessel was covered until it was possible to study it.

Between 1999 and 2000, excavations were carried out on the wreck. During this part of the campaign the stratigraphic layers that covered the archaeological layers were studied. The entire cargo was carefully numbered and documented with photographs and drawings. Following these operations, the materials were removed and immediately taken to a laboratory for restoration. Next, the timbers of the ship were documented with a 1:1 scale drawing, and then protected once again.

In 2007, ARQUA, the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology, returned to the project with the aim of updating the existing graphical documentation with new techniques and digital processes to create a new digital archive that would allow a 3D re-creation of the original Phoenician boat to be made, as well as as scale replica of it to be exhibited at the new Museum. To do so, work was planned in various fields: photogrammetry, photomosaic, together with an orthogonal drawing of the hull. Work was also done to protect the timbers. Today the boat – properly protected – is conserved in situ.