Roman battering rams recovered from Battle of Aegates

[guy]

 

Underwater archaeology has led to some fascinating discoveries. This article discusses the discovery of several battering rams at the site of the Battle of Aegates (214 BCE) off the coast of Sicily. This battle was decisive, resulting in a Roman victory and marking the end of the First Punic War.

 

 

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“Four ancient bronze battering rams — each weighing a colossal 450lbs —  have been recovered from Romanwrecks that sunk off the coast of Sicily in 241 BC.

Originally attached to the bows of warships, the rams were used against the Carthaginian fleet during the Battle of the Aegates that ended the First Punic War.

The site of the battle was identified back in 2010 by the Italian archaeologist Sebastiano Tusa, after a local fisherman recovered a battering ram from the conflict and presented it to a Sicilian dentist. Since then, 25 more rams have been recovered.

Accounts suggest that the Romans sunk 50 Carthaginian vessels and captured 70 more, although at the cost of 30 of their own ships and damage to 50 more.“

 

 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9943277/amp/Archaeology-Four-450lb-ancient-Roman-battering-rams-recovered-coast-Sicily.html

 

 

 

Edited August 24 by guy

[guy]

Here’s another article on the find:

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“Ongoing underwater surveys of the battle site has been conducted from the Hercules research vessel using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to map the seafloor, and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to inspect submerged targets.   

During the 2021 survey season, the researchers had sought to delineate the site to the north and east, when they discovered two more bronze warship rams along with four from earlier in the season (bringing the total discovered from Antiquity up to 25), in addition to dozens of lead slinger bullets used as lethal projectiles in combat, several bronze helmets and cheek-pieces, and Roman and Hellenistic Greek coins.“

 

 

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2021/09/ancient-warship-rams-discovered-at-the-site-of-the-battle-of-the-egadi-islands/141290?amp

Edited February 2 by guy