Byzantine Shipwreck Off Croatia Yields Largest Gold Hoard Ever Found on a Mediterranean Wreck
A Byzantine shipwreck off the Croatian island of Mljet has yielded over 21 ounces of gold artifacts, including belt sets with gemstones, coins from four Heraclian emperors, and a signet ring possibly bearing Heraclius's likeness. The wreck, dating to the 7th or 8th century C.E., is considered the most important of its period by Stanford archaeologist Justin Leidwanger. Excavations by the Croatian Conservation Institute since 2015 recovered the largest gold trove ever from a Mediterranean shipwreck, per head researcher Igor Miholjek. The cargo challenges assumptions of the Adriatic as an impoverished backwater during the early medieval period. The ring suggests a high-ranking official was aboard, possibly on a diplomatic mission. The ship also carried goldsmithing equipment, amphorae, pottery, and game pieces, raising questions about its purpose. Researchers plan further analysis and site revisits.
Key facts
- The shipwreck is located off the coast of Mljet, a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea.
- The vessel sank in the 7th or 8th century C.E.
- Gold treasures recovered weigh more than 21 ounces.
- The trove is the largest of its kind ever found on a shipwreck in the Mediterranean.
- Artifacts include gold belt sets with precious gemstones, coins from four Heraclian emperors, and a gold signet ring.
- The ring may bear the likeness of Emperor Heraclius (r. 610–641).
- The Croatian Conservation Institute started surveying the wreck in 2015.
- Justin Leidwanger (Stanford University) and Igor Miholjek (Croatian Conservation Institute) are key researchers.
- The ship carried goldsmithing equipment, amphorae, ceramic pottery, and game board pieces.
- The wreck challenges the view of the Adriatic as an impoverished backwater during the early medieval period.
Entities
Institutions
- Stanford University
- Croatian Conservation Institute
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice
- National Geographic
- Reuters
- Smithsonian magazine
Locations
- Mljet
- Croatia
- Adriatic Sea
- Mediterranean
- Constantinople
- Byzantine Empire
- Ottoman Empire
- Europe