The Lost Ships of Pisa

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What could have happened in Italy 2000 years ago to entomb an entire port, including 16 Roman ships, thousands of artifacts, and both human and animal remains? This is the question that Michael Sedge, former Mediterranean Editor of Scientific American Discovering Archaeology, seeks to answer in The Lost Ships of Pisa. The dramatic discovery of what Italian authorities are calling "the Pompeii of maritime archaeology" began in December 1998, when the national railroad began digging the foundation for a new station, 500 feet from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The work abruptly stopped, however, when, to the astonishment of all, the haunting remains of a wooden, Roman ship came to light, after being buried for centuries. Today, a graveyard of sea vessels, dating from the 3rd century B.C. to the 5th century A.D., have emerged from an ancient port that had been forgotten with time. Hundreds-of-thousands of artifacts -- enough to create an entire museum -- have also been recovered. Hordes of pottery, clothing, coins, and jewelry have come to light in what one archaeologist called a "river of antiquities."