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- [Narrator] For 
thousands of years,

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the Adriatic Sea 
has guided ships

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into the safe harbors of 
Croatia's Dalmatian coast.

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Among these ancient 
ports stands Zadar,

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one of the country's oldest 
continually inhabited cities.

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Colonized by the Romans 
in the 1st century BC,

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remnants of the Empire's 
occupation endure to this day.

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- [Mladen] The Romans 
and Greeks before them,

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the people who built 
foundations, let's

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when you see what they 
used, what they did,

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it's not changed 
eventually too much today.

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The main square stands 
in the same position

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where the Roman main square was.

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The main raster of 
the streets in Zadar

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is following the streets 
that we had in Roman times.

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So we are living 
in the same place

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where Romans lived in these 
first centuries 2,000 years ago.

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- [Narrator] The 1st 
and 2nd centuries

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marked the golden age 
of the Roman Empire.

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Every artifact uncovered 
by archeologists

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and preserved by 
conservators tells a story.

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A glass jar bears the 
stamp of its creator.

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A ceramic amphora reveals 
its city of origin

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through shape and design.

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And ancient coins, marked 
with the heads of emperors,

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disclose their age.

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As they colonized existing 
settlements like Zadar,

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the Romans also constructed 
elaborate country farms,

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or villas, whose valuable 
products like olives

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and wine helped sustain 
and grow the Empire.

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- [Luka] All these 
products needed

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to be transferred either to 
Italy or other provinces,

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so the transport was, in fact,

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the ships which were 
carrying all this stuff.

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It was much cheaper 
than transferring

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along the inland roads.

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- [Narrator] As these 
Roman ships sailed

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from colonies along 
Croatia's Adriatic coast

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to ports across the 
Mediterranean and beyond,

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they left their 
archeological footprint

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across the sea floor.

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(soft music)

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For over a decade, 
underwater archeologists

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and conservators at the 
International Centre

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for Underwater Archeology 
in Zadar, or ICUA,

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have perfected their 
expertise in uncovering

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and meticulously 
documenting the traces

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of this rich history.

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- [Luka] We have a lot

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of abundant cultural heritage 
underwater in Croatia.

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And the main reason 
for our center

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is in fact the protection of it.

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- [Narrator] During 
recent excavations

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of an ancient Roman 
harbor near Zadar,

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the team at ICUA made 
a remarkable discovery:

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the wooden remains of 
a Roman ship dating

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to the 1st century, AD.

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- [Roko] You know that feeling

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when you find something that 
is really valuable to you.

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And then that feeling 
overwhelms you.

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So that's basically the feeling

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that we get while excavating,

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and then when you 
find something, for

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oh my god, this is 2,000 years 
old, so I'm the first one,

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the first person 
who gets a chance

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to view this object 
after 2,000 years,

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so the last one who viewed it,

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it was a Roman citizen.

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So that's beautiful.

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- [Maja] When you are the first 
one to see the ship remains,

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after 2,000 years, that's a 
very special and personal,

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emotional moment, so things 
like this always surprise you.

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- [Narrator] This find 
marks the beginning

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of a comprehensive 
archeological process

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that will span years, 
if not decades.

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How do archeologists

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and conservators document and 
preserve this sunken history?

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And what hidden stories 
still lie submerged,

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waiting to be discovered?

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(uplifting music)

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- [Announcer] Major 
funding for this program

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was provided by The 
Batchelor Foundation

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encouraging people to preserve

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and protect America's 
underwater resources.

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Additional funding was 
provided by Trish and Dan Bell

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and by The Parrot 
Family Endowment

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for Environmental Education.

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- [Narrator] On the north 
end of Old Town Zadar,

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underwater archeologists

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at the International Centre

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for Underwater 
Archeology prepare

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for another day of 
excavation field work.

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As a UNESCO-supported 
center working

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with world heritage underwater,

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ICUA is the only 
research institute

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of its kind in the world.

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- [Mladen] So, we are 
underwater archeologists

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and conservators of underwater 
archeological material,

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and our main tasks are 
scientific research

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of underwater 
archeological sites,

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education of the students,

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and presentation to 
the wider public.

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- [Narrator] ICUA's 
experts collaborate

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with researchers worldwide to 
conserve underwater heritage

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at least a century old,

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spanning from the prehistoric 
period to the First World War.

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- [Luka] The conservation work

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is very important 
aspect of our center,

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and this is the biggest facility

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that we have in Croatia for 
underwater cultural heritage.

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The Adriatic Sea 
has a lot of salts.

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So getting this salt 
out of the material

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is a priority in conservation.

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Otherwise, all of these 
objects will collapse,

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and they will be destroyed 
in 10 years, let's say.

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- [Narrator] The center 
is also developing

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a specialized library and 
constructing a new museum space,

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both dedicated to the field 
of underwater archeology.

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As an educational center,

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ICUA provides underwater 
field work training

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and experience to archeologists 
from around the world.

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One such project is 
a unique excavation

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led by the center's 
director, Dr. Mladen Peai

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In 2020, the ICUA team 
discovered a wooden plank

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and iron nail buried in the 
ancient Roman harbor of Barbir.

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Subsequent excavations 
revealed a sunken Roman ship,

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estimated to be over 
40 feet in length.

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This rare wooden find has 
been naturally preserved

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by layers of silt and 
sand for over 2,000 years.

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- [Mladen] To find the ship 
in this good condition,

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it's really not a common find,

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so basically we 
were really happy

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to discover it was protected 
in such a good condition.

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This is something 
that we will leave,

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we will start this year, 
document as much as we can,

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and we will leave this 
for the next year also.

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We are continuing the 
excavation this year,

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and the idea is to 
uncover only a small part

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of the ship in order 
to overlap the pictures

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and the plans that we are 
going to make this year.

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(inspiring music)

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- [Narrator] Today, the 
abandoned Roman harbor

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at Barbir lies submerged 
in shallow waters

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due to centuries of erosion, 
settling, and sea-level rise.

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- [Mladen] The harbor is made 
from two parts, let's say.

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One part is much bigger.

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It is the pier that 
we see underwater.

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Today it is possible to 
see different small stones

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that were part of the harbor

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and also big blocks 
of the stone more

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than two meters 
long that were meant

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to protect the inner 
part of the harbor

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from the big waves 
that are coming.

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- [Maja] So probably 
the harbor existed

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because of the Roman 
villa on the coast.

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It was their harbor 
to transport goods

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along the coast or 
outside of Adriatic.

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We don't know.

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But we know that there is 
a lot of harbor material,

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so a lot of imported products

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from all over the Roman Empire.

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- [Narrator] To dig trenches 
for this year's excavations,

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the team secures a metal 
grid over the site,

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then prepares to remove 
sediment from the seafloor.

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- So for excavation in 
underwater archeology,

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we use water dredges.

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So the dredges that 
have a suction power,

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and they actually help 
us like a vacuum cleaner.

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They help us to 
clean the sediment.

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Then we are excavating 
layer by layer.

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So we are excavating one layer,

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and the layer tells us 
a story about the period

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in which it formed.

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And then there is another 
layer underneath it,

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which is older.

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It's called archeological 
stratigraphy.

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- [Narrator] Facing uncertainty 
about what lies beneath,

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the team must be vigilant

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in spotting fragile artifacts 
before they are harmed.

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After an artifact's resting 
location is precisely measured,

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it's assigned a 
unique identifier,

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photographed, and placed 
in a secure net bag.

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- According to analysis of them,

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we can tell from 
which period they are.

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So basically we know that

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although this ship 
sank somewhere in the

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we know that the harbor 
existed even after the ship.

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Most of the material 
on the surface

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comes from the 5th century AD.

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So during excavations, 
we found first elements,

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small pottery, from 
the 5th century.

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Then if you're going lower,

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then you can see the elements 
from 4th century, 3rd century.

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And eventually when you 
come close to the ship,

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you can see the pottery 
and small finds,

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which are dated to the same 
era when the ship sank.

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So basically, we are 
cutting the layers

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and reconstructing them.

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It helps us to see 
when the ship sank,

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but also to see how 
the harbor existed

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and how rich the harbor 
was in different periods

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of the time of the existence.

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(soft piano music)

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- [Narrator] Back at 
ICUA, these unique

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and ancient finds undergo 
thorough documentation,

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including photography and 
detailed record-keeping

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in an excavation diary.

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They also must be kept 
submerged in seawater

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until they can be 
properly conserved.

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Long-term exposure to open air

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would damage them irreparably.

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- So, each element, 
each artifact

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that comes from the water has

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to pass a long process 
of desalinization.

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This process is where the 
elements or the artifacts

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are put in the tap water

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in order to extract 
all the salts

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that are inside of the 
structure of this artifact.

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Otherwise, if you just 
take it out from the water

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and leave it to 
dry, it'll break.

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It'll completely be destroyed 
in a really short time.

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- [Narrator] Each of ICUA's 
conservators specializes

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in processing specific 
artifact materials,

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including metal, glass, 
wood, and ceramics,

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such as this amphora 
from another underwater

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These vase-like jars 
were used for transport

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and storage by the 
Greeks and Romans.

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- During all the 
process of conservation,

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we are really careful

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because these pieces 
have really historic

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and archeological value.

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And we need to respect 
our history, our heritage.

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You know that somebody 
in the history made this

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and you respect the 
work of this person.

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Sometimes you find the prints,

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like the finger of 
the pottery maker.

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For me, it's really 
fantastic to see.

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It's like some kind of the 
personality of the person

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who made it like 
thousand years before.

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- From ceramics we also 
can tell different things,

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so basically we can tell from 
which period the ceramics is.

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It is even possible to tell

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from which workshop in Roman 
time this pottery was done.

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- [Narrator] After a year-long 
process of desalinization,

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these finds from the 
previous year's excavation

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are now able to be 
more closely examined.

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- [Mladen] For the 
pottery shards,

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00:14:51,133 --> 00:14:53,433
we have them from different 
parts of the Mediterranean.

249
00:14:53,433 --> 00:14:55,300
For example, maybe 
most interesting

250
00:14:55,300 --> 00:14:57,066
are the ones from North Africa

251
00:14:57,066 --> 00:15:00,600
that come from 4th and 5th 
century that was decorated

252
00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:02,966
by different stamps on them.

253
00:15:02,966 --> 00:15:05,133
We also have some 
pottery that was used

254
00:15:05,133 --> 00:15:06,766
by the Romans in this area

255
00:15:06,766 --> 00:15:10,466
during their normal 
everyday life.

256
00:15:10,466 --> 00:15:12,366
But we have some pottery also 
that comes from hinterland,

257
00:15:12,366 --> 00:15:14,233
from the inner parts.

258
00:15:14,233 --> 00:15:17,166
And so this pottery came not 
by the sea trade probably

259
00:15:17,166 --> 00:15:18,666
and this gives us some clues

260
00:15:18,666 --> 00:15:21,366
that the trade was not 
going only in one direction,

261
00:15:21,366 --> 00:15:23,233
but it is possible 
that was the trade

262
00:15:23,233 --> 00:15:25,666
that came from the 
different ships

263
00:15:25,666 --> 00:15:30,066
through this port to hinterlands 
and other way around also.

264
00:15:30,066 --> 00:15:32,933
But maybe most interesting 
finds are the coins.

265
00:15:32,933 --> 00:15:35,766
Many of them were found 
in one small area,

266
00:15:35,766 --> 00:15:38,700
and we can presume 
that some Roman

267
00:15:38,700 --> 00:15:42,466
lost his bag with coins that 
was left there underwater,

268
00:15:42,466 --> 00:15:47,500
and we found it, let's say, 
almost 2,000 years after.

269
00:15:47,500 --> 00:15:54,966
(upbeat music)

270
00:15:54,966 --> 00:15:56,900
- [Narrator] After removing 
all of the sediment

271
00:15:56,900 --> 00:15:59,666
and artifacts, the team finally

272
00:15:59,666 --> 00:16:04,466
reaches the preserved 
hull of the Roman ship.

273
00:16:04,466 --> 00:16:06,066
- [Mladen] The ship had no cargo

274
00:16:06,066 --> 00:16:10,000
because it was docked in a bay, 
in a safe place, let's say.

275
00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,200
So we don't have 
a typical cargo,

276
00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,166
like big amphoras that were 
stuck inside of the ship.

277
00:16:15,166 --> 00:16:17,000
It was probably 
carrying the olives

278
00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,500
and we know this because 
between the frames

279
00:16:19,500 --> 00:16:20,700
on the lower part of the ship,

280
00:16:20,700 --> 00:16:22,566
we found lots of small seeds

281
00:16:22,566 --> 00:16:27,866
from the olives from 
the Roman times.

282
00:16:27,866 --> 00:16:29,466
- [Narrator] As part 
of preparing the ship

283
00:16:29,466 --> 00:16:32,733
for documentation, 
divers must meticulously

284
00:16:32,733 --> 00:16:36,400
clean the fragile wooden 
construction now laid bare

285
00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:38,833
to the elements.

286
00:16:38,833 --> 00:16:41,900
- [Mladen] This lower part 
is in really good condition.

287
00:16:41,900 --> 00:16:45,233
The parts that are close 
to the surface were eaten

288
00:16:45,233 --> 00:16:46,966
by the ship worms and 
they are destroyed.

289
00:16:46,966 --> 00:16:50,133
So wood that is underwater 
often gets destroyed,

290
00:16:50,133 --> 00:16:53,633
but the parts of the ship 
that are deeper, let's say,

291
00:16:53,633 --> 00:16:56,700
40-50 centimeters 
under the sand,

292
00:16:56,700 --> 00:16:58,100
they are completely preserved.

293
00:16:58,100 --> 00:17:00,533
And you can still see the 
cut marks of the tools

294
00:17:00,533 --> 00:17:08,233
that Romans used for 
building the ship.

295
00:17:08,233 --> 00:17:09,500
- [Narrator] Precise 
cuts are made

296
00:17:09,500 --> 00:17:14,066
in specific elements 
of the wooden hull.

297
00:17:14,066 --> 00:17:15,566
Through carbon dating,

298
00:17:15,566 --> 00:17:19,000
these tiny samples will 
yield valuable information

299
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,766
about wood types and ages.

300
00:17:22,766 --> 00:17:25,300
Larger fragments that 
had broken off prior

301
00:17:25,300 --> 00:17:30,066
to the excavation 
are also retrieved.

302
00:17:30,066 --> 00:17:31,766
They will play a vital role

303
00:17:31,766 --> 00:17:34,233
in helping ship 
construction experts

304
00:17:34,233 --> 00:17:37,366
understand how the 
ship was built.

305
00:17:37,366 --> 00:17:39,133
As with other materials,

306
00:17:39,133 --> 00:17:42,100
this wood will require 
proper conservation

307
00:17:42,100 --> 00:17:46,400
to prevent its destruction.

308
00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:48,900
- Wood naturally absorbs water,

309
00:17:48,900 --> 00:17:53,933
so as long as the piece of 
wood is in the wet environment,

310
00:17:53,933 --> 00:17:55,866
it will look very 
well preserved.

311
00:17:55,866 --> 00:18:00,033
But actually, when you 
touch that piece of wood,

312
00:18:00,033 --> 00:18:02,766
you can feel these cavities.

313
00:18:02,766 --> 00:18:06,066
It is actually soft, and 
it can even get spongy.

314
00:18:06,066 --> 00:18:10,133
So if you take that 
piece of wood out to dry,

315
00:18:10,133 --> 00:18:12,966
water will evaporate, 
leaving nothing

316
00:18:12,966 --> 00:18:15,500
to hold the structure 
of the wood.

317
00:18:15,500 --> 00:18:20,933
So, you have to preserve 
it in order to save it.

318
00:18:20,933 --> 00:18:22,300
- Basically, up to now,

319
00:18:22,300 --> 00:18:24,366
we know five or six 
different species of wood

320
00:18:24,366 --> 00:18:26,800
that was used for the 
building of the ship.

321
00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:28,533
So we have oak.

322
00:18:28,533 --> 00:18:29,533
We have pine tree.

323
00:18:29,533 --> 00:18:30,666
We have olive tree.

324
00:18:30,666 --> 00:18:33,300
So we have different 
species of wood

325
00:18:33,300 --> 00:18:34,900
that was used for 
different elements

326
00:18:34,900 --> 00:18:38,000
of the ship construction.

327
00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:41,900
- We know that this ship 
was constructed in a way,

328
00:18:41,900 --> 00:18:43,500
it's called shell first.

329
00:18:43,500 --> 00:18:47,100
So they would first 
assemble the outer planking,

330
00:18:47,100 --> 00:18:50,700
and then they would 
insert frames inside.

331
00:18:50,700 --> 00:18:55,666
So the most weight, and the 
structural element of this ship

332
00:18:55,666 --> 00:19:05,700
is actually its hull.

333
00:19:05,700 --> 00:19:07,200
- [Narrator] Divers 
mark these planks

334
00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:11,133
with black labels specifying 
their relative positions

335
00:19:11,133 --> 00:19:15,200
and use blue wire to delineate 
the spaces between them.

336
00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:19,100
These interlocking joints, 
secured with wooden pegs,

337
00:19:19,100 --> 00:19:21,933
are a sturdy construction 
technique known as mortise

338
00:19:21,933 --> 00:19:23,966
and tenon joinery.

339
00:19:23,966 --> 00:19:26,866
Each wooden peg is 
marked with a white pin,

340
00:19:26,866 --> 00:19:30,300
and red pins are used to 
indicate wider wooden nails

341
00:19:30,300 --> 00:19:33,300
that secure the wooden frames.

342
00:19:33,300 --> 00:19:36,300
- [Maja] Once the 
model is produced,

343
00:19:36,300 --> 00:19:40,800
I cannot come back there and 
check if we missed something

344
00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,900
because some things are visible 
only while you are diving.

345
00:19:43,900 --> 00:19:45,500
You can take a thousand photos,

346
00:19:45,500 --> 00:19:50,200
but you cannot be in the 
same context of diving there

347
00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,566
and thinking about the boat.

348
00:19:52,566 --> 00:19:55,233
You really need to know 
what you are doing,

349
00:19:55,233 --> 00:20:03,400
because it will be 
documented forever.

350
00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:04,800
- [Mladen] During excavation,

351
00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:07,833
we also have to measure each 
quadrant end, let's say,

352
00:20:07,833 --> 00:20:10,166
or each field that 
we are excavating

353
00:20:10,166 --> 00:20:12,400
in order to reconstruct 
it afterwards

354
00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,733
to put it in a proper position.

355
00:20:14,733 --> 00:20:17,533
So we are taking GPS positions 
of the different frames,

356
00:20:17,533 --> 00:20:19,466
but also from the 
ship construction

357
00:20:19,466 --> 00:20:24,300
in order to have exact lengths 
of the ship construction.

358
00:20:24,300 --> 00:20:25,800
- When everything is finished,

359
00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:29,066
then there is a crown of the 
whole excavation actually,

360
00:20:29,066 --> 00:20:30,966
and why are we 
marking everything?

361
00:20:30,966 --> 00:20:33,966
Because of that moment 
that everything leads to,

362
00:20:33,966 --> 00:20:38,266
and that's documentation.

363
00:20:38,266 --> 00:20:40,200
- [Narrator] Roko 
Suriis responsible

364
00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,366
for collecting photogrammetry 
data at the site.

365
00:20:43,366 --> 00:20:46,000
This technique allows 
him to capture hundreds

366
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:49,300
of two-dimensional images 
from multiple angles,

367
00:20:49,300 --> 00:20:50,800
which are then merged

368
00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:55,300
to produce highly-accurate 
three-dimensional models.

369
00:20:55,300 --> 00:20:57,400
- So, the markings 
on the ship itself

370
00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:03,300
would not have any sense if we 
didn't document it properly.

371
00:21:03,300 --> 00:21:06,000
When I go inside of the water 
to make a photogrammetry,

372
00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:10,166
I have to be really certain 
that the water is clear also.

373
00:21:10,166 --> 00:21:12,466
So there should 
be no disturbance.

374
00:21:12,466 --> 00:21:15,100
That means that even 
the smallest particles

375
00:21:15,100 --> 00:21:17,700
inside of the water 
between my camera

376
00:21:17,700 --> 00:21:24,600
and the site can interfere 
with the final result.

377
00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:27,400
Most of the time, underwater 
visibility is bad.

378
00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:31,933
So even if the visibility 
is, let's say, half of meter,

379
00:21:31,933 --> 00:21:36,366
if you are expert in 
photogrammetry, if

380
00:21:36,366 --> 00:21:38,400
then you can get 
the whole picture.

381
00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:42,200
So, finally, when you are 
finished with the software,

382
00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:44,500
when you're finished 
with the computer work,

383
00:21:44,500 --> 00:21:46,866
you will get the whole 
picture of the site.

384
00:21:46,866 --> 00:21:49,000
You will not be able 
to do that underwater.

385
00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,733
It's impossible.

386
00:21:51,733 --> 00:21:53,466
- You can also make 3D models,

387
00:21:53,466 --> 00:21:55,766
which basically 
helps us to learn

388
00:21:55,766 --> 00:21:57,700
what are the curves of the ship.

389
00:21:57,700 --> 00:22:00,766
And these ship lines 
help us to uncover

390
00:22:00,766 --> 00:22:03,233
what was the original 
size of the ship,

391
00:22:03,233 --> 00:22:04,733
what was the height of the ship,

392
00:22:04,733 --> 00:22:07,400
and different elements 
that today are broken.

393
00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,300
But according to 
this reconstruction,

394
00:22:09,300 --> 00:22:12,466
we can basically see how 
the ship exactly looked

395
00:22:12,466 --> 00:22:15,800
like in the past.

396
00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:17,400
- [Narrator] After 
thoroughly documenting

397
00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,500
the ship's exposed section,

398
00:22:19,500 --> 00:22:22,033
the delicate wooden 
hull must be re-covered

399
00:22:22,033 --> 00:22:24,300
to safeguard it 
until archeologists

400
00:22:24,300 --> 00:22:29,133
can return for 
future excavations.

401
00:22:29,133 --> 00:22:30,433
- [Mladen] We could 
not leave it like this

402
00:22:30,433 --> 00:22:32,566
because this wood 
is really fragile.

403
00:22:32,566 --> 00:22:34,133
Since it is in shallow waters,

404
00:22:34,133 --> 00:22:36,733
the waves that come here 
can go up to two meters

405
00:22:36,733 --> 00:22:39,633
and basically they can 
just, in one moment,

406
00:22:39,633 --> 00:22:42,333
rip completely the ship 
out from this position.

407
00:22:42,333 --> 00:22:47,100
So in this way it is protected 
and nobody can touch it.

408
00:22:47,100 --> 00:22:50,200
- So we put the sand, sandbags,

409
00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,100
and then we covered 
everything with geotextile.

410
00:22:53,100 --> 00:22:56,100
We put it in a few 
layers, just to be sure.

411
00:22:56,100 --> 00:22:59,000
And afterwards, we 
are using dredges

412
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,833
to put all this material 
that was already excavated

413
00:23:02,833 --> 00:23:06,533
from the boat to 
return it back inside.

414
00:23:06,533 --> 00:23:08,166
If we left it uncovered,

415
00:23:08,166 --> 00:23:09,633
there would be a lot of people

416
00:23:09,633 --> 00:23:11,700
who are interested in 
this kind of things.

417
00:23:11,700 --> 00:23:16,633
So if everyone take one 
small piece as a souvenir,

418
00:23:16,633 --> 00:23:19,800
we don't have ship anymore.

419
00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:22,366
- [Mladen] For now, it 
is protected in situ,

420
00:23:22,366 --> 00:23:24,266
on the site where it is.

421
00:23:24,266 --> 00:23:27,500
Of course, our wish would be 
after we finish the excavation,

422
00:23:27,500 --> 00:23:29,900
maybe to lift it up 
and to exhibit it.

423
00:23:29,900 --> 00:23:33,200
But this is process that takes 
lots of time, lots of energy,

424
00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:34,566
and lots of money.

425
00:23:34,566 --> 00:23:37,466
So this is something that 
we have to plan properly

426
00:23:37,466 --> 00:23:41,200
in order if we want 
to take it out.

427
00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:45,066
- All of these finds 
underwater are treasures.

428
00:23:45,066 --> 00:23:48,333
And we want to keep them

429
00:23:48,333 --> 00:23:51,333
where they are until 
we have a means

430
00:23:51,333 --> 00:23:59,400
to really reconstruct 
them and preserve them.

431
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:07,100
All those objects can tell 
us a lot about the history.

432
00:24:07,100 --> 00:24:10,766
- It is very important 
because if anything happens,

433
00:24:10,766 --> 00:24:15,633
these documentations are the 
only evidence that it existed.

434
00:24:15,633 --> 00:24:17,900
In my opinion, but 
I'm an archeologist,

435
00:24:17,900 --> 00:24:20,500
it is very important 
to have this connection

436
00:24:20,500 --> 00:24:24,033
with the past in order 
to have a bright future.

437
00:24:24,033 --> 00:24:26,300
So we are also personally

438
00:24:26,300 --> 00:24:28,833
and emotionally 
connected with this.

439
00:24:28,833 --> 00:24:32,366
Documentation is just 
one part of the process.

440
00:24:32,366 --> 00:24:34,500
- [Narrator] Four years 
after their discovery

441
00:24:34,500 --> 00:24:36,666
of the Roman ship at Barbir,

442
00:24:36,666 --> 00:24:39,000
the team at ICUA 
remains committed

443
00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,966
to preserving the history 
found in this rare

444
00:24:41,966 --> 00:24:46,966
and unique cultural 
heritage site.

445
00:24:46,966 --> 00:24:49,200
- What lies in front of us

446
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,300
is uncovering the whole ship.

447
00:24:51,300 --> 00:24:53,033
So basically we will not stop.

448
00:24:53,033 --> 00:24:54,933
If it takes us 5 years more,

449
00:24:54,933 --> 00:24:58,833
we will take 5 years to 
completely excavate it.

450
00:24:58,833 --> 00:24:59,966
And then we will be sure

451
00:24:59,966 --> 00:25:02,100
that we didn't miss 
any information

452
00:25:02,100 --> 00:25:04,900
that is hidden 
underneath the layers.

453
00:25:04,900 --> 00:25:08,400
Because the final product 
of this whole excavation

454
00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:12,166
is the story of what happened, 
why did it happen there,

455
00:25:12,166 --> 00:25:17,733
and all the different 
aspects of the story.

456
00:25:17,733 --> 00:25:20,333
- Archeology is just 
like any other science.

457
00:25:20,333 --> 00:25:22,500
You get a lot of answers 
on your questions,

458
00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:27,400
but you always raise 
some new questions.

459
00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,300
We are not the first 
archeologists working here.

460
00:25:29,300 --> 00:25:33,200
Our generation is one of 
the many, many generations

461
00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,533
of archeologists who are 
working on the same problems.

462
00:25:36,533 --> 00:25:46,700
And we are not the 
last archeologist here.

463
00:25:46,700 --> 00:26:16,800
(soft music)

464
00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:18,733
- [Announcer] Major 
funding for this program

465
00:26:18,733 --> 00:26:21,900
was provided by The 
Batchelor Foundation

466
00:26:21,900 --> 00:26:23,966
encouraging people to preserve

467
00:26:23,966 --> 00:26:27,900
and protect America's 
underwater resources.

468
00:26:27,900 --> 00:26:30,566
Additional funding 
was provided by Trish

469
00:26:30,566 --> 00:26:34,633
and Dan Bell and by The 
Parrot Family Endowment

470
00:26:34,633 --> 00:26:38,033
for Environmental Education.

471
00:26:38,033 --> 00:26:40,300
(upbeat music)