Wreck 17

Wreck 17 is one of over 70 wrecks found on the Thonis-Heracleion site. It dates from the end of the sixth century to the beginning of the fifth century BC. It is 27-28 m long and between 19-53 cm wide and made out of oak. There appears to be a fundamental difference between the assembly of planking of the wrecks of Thonis-Heracleion and those found elsewhere in the ancient Mediterranean that used tenons and mortises. This has to be understood in conjunction with the local nautical region and/or nearby inland waterways to be navigated. The Nile Delta ships had to be well adapted to the maritime, river, and lake conditions. With hardly any keel, these ships could sail just as well on the Nile as at sea and could pass from the latter to the river in order to dock in the interior, on the Delta, at Memphis or even further south.