We do not visit shipwreck locations on the excursion because they are either protected by sand or they are located at greater depths, and the information is informative for guests who want to learn more about the rich underwater historical heritage of Pakoštane and the surrounding area.
In cooperation with the French Institute for Scientific Research CNRS (Centre Camille
Jullian) The University of Zadar conducted systematic research on the remains of a late antique ship
near the islet of Veli Školj near the port of Pakoštane. Radić Rossi states that there are two of them
boy discovered unusual finds under the sea. The research lasted from May 12 to 31, 2008.
year, and a two-year research campaign in which the entire preserved part of the boat was investigated
construction, length 12 and width 6.5 meters.
...Parts of the ship structure were found: remains
ship's formwork, ship's transverse strength elements, joints on the keel and formwork and internal
longitudinal elements of the ship structure. We also have evidence of repairing the ship's hull
– patch tabs and patch lead plates. Thanks to a piece of rope and parts
ceramics, we can date the sailing of the ship to the last quarter of the 4th century to the first half
5th century. With a special method of pollen extraction, it can be assumed that the ship may have been
of local construction, although we cannot say that with certainty.
The ship has been preserved in a length of approximately
11 m and a maximum width of approximately 7 m. There is
a gap in the middle that is 0.3 m wide in the southern, and 1
m wide in the northern section. It corresponds to the position
of the keel, and it has a north-west/south-east orientation.
The preserved part of the ship west of the keel axis is 9 m long
and 2.7 m wide. The eastern section is broken into two parts
of the maximum length of 7 m, and a total width of 3.5 m
As stated, the hull remains lie directly on the bedrock,
entirely broken apart and flattened, without traces of the
original curvature. The hull probably had a flat bottom with
a gentle turn of the bilge perceivable from the shape of a frame
on the eastern side, below the lower wale
ESTIMATE OF THE SHIP’S SIZE, TYPE AND
FUNCTION
Based on the gathered data, and above all based on the
dimensions of the integral components of the planking and
frames, the length of the sunken ship at the islet of Veli Školj
may be estimated to have been roughly 15 to 20 m. This was
a typical vessel of the Roman era, which according to the
definition formulated by Patrice Pomey (1998: 68; Pomey,
Rieth, 2005: 166-167) was characterized by the following
elements:
- a keel with simple garboard planks on which the ship’s
flattened bottom rested;
- simple flush-laid carvel planking, mutually connected
by a system of mortises and tenons, without outer protective
lead sheathing;
- a system of composite frames in which all elements are
independent, in which floor-timbers and half-frames
alternate, but with asymmetrical floor-timbers inserted
between them, while certain floor timbers are bolted to the
keel;
- internal longitudinal elements of the hull, and a mast
step, set on the bilge keelsons above the frames.
With the exception of the asymmetrical floor timbers,
which were not observed here, the ship at the islet of Veli Školj
is characterized by all of these elements, including the bilge
keelsons that were not preserved, but whose existence may be
supposed on the basis of the recesses present on the frames.
They also point to the mast step which had to have existed on
the ship but were gone together with the keel.
And finally, the described ship, propelled primarily by the
wind, was most likely used to transport goods by sea, which
is backed by the features of the hull structure, as well as the
possible presence of cargo at the time of the wreck.
SITE OF AN ANCIENT SHIPWRECK - Archaeologists at Babuljaš
In 2015, the International Center for Underwater Archeology in Zadar, a Category II UNESCO center, began two-week underwater archaeological research in the area of the Babuljaš islet near Pakoštan. It is a continuation of the research that began in 2013, when a large amount of ceramic finds from the prehistoric and ancient periods were discovered, and was continued in 2014.
...As in previous years, the research is financed by the Tourist Board of the municipality of Pakoštane, and in addition to the MCPA employee - research manager Mladen Pešić, deputies Luka Bekić, Roko Surić and Marina Šimičić, Marko Meštrov from the Han Vrana Agency and volunteer archaeologists Jelena Čelebić from Crna also participate in them. Above, Milan Rodić from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Saša Koren from Slovenia. As part of the research, a basic course in river archeology is held for two students from the Czech Republic - Verionika Zerzanova and Barbora Machova, and the theoretical lectures on the course are given by Mate Parica from the University of Zadar, in addition to the aforementioned instructors.
Research so far has resulted in the discovery of a very interesting site. On the surface of 44 square meters explored so far, a layered site was discovered with the remains of an ancient shipwreck that transported a load of olive oil and fish products in amphorae from the territory of North Africa. In addition to amphorae, the ship also transported several types of kitchen and fine sigilate dishes, also originating from the North African provinces, which were part of the cargo, and most likely intended for further sale in the Roman province of Dalmatia.
Beneath the shipwreck itself, there are findings from the Bronze Age, which probably got there by being washed from the islet. Although the vast majority of these findings were destroyed by the action of waves and sea currents, there are still specimens among them that, after a detailed analysis, will provide new information about life in the Pašman region during the prehistoric era.
THE MOST SPECTACULAR RENAISSANCE SHIPWRECK Half a century of research on Gnalić (an island near St. Filip I Jakov)
It is the wreckage of the most spectacular Renaissance shipwreck. It was at the end of October 1583, the merchant ship Gagliano Grossa sailed from Venice to Constantinople (today's Istanbul) carrying expensive goods and the best equipment for the restoration of the old harem of the Turkish sultan Murat III, the favorite grandson of Suleiman the Magnificent. ...However, the Gagliana grossa never reached Constantinople because it crashed against the rocks and sank near the islet of Gnalić at the southwest end of the Pašman Channel. It was one of the most famous shipwrecks of the 16th century, which has intrigued historians and archaeologists for more than fifty years.
In Biograd na Moru there is a museum where this wreck is presented.
Contemporary research has been ongoing since 2012 under the leadership of Dr. Irene Radić Rossi, associate professor at the Department of Archeology of the University of Zadar, head of the NEREAS project of the Croatian Science Foundation, who has been fascinated by this historical event for years. Such a large and complex wreck requires multidisciplinarity and patience. In some of the better years, the campaign lasted for two months and up to 50 divers-researchers took turns in it. Today, it is a smaller team that only works for two weeks, but despite all the adversity, the continuity has not been interrupted.
The story of the shipwreck near Gnalić contains so much interest, tension, intrigue and secrets that essays and novels could be written about this event, as well as documentaries and even feature films.
A few months before the shipwreck, in May 1583, the old harem of Sultan Murat III was destroyed in a fire. As he was a great lover of beautiful women, who spent more time in the harem than engaged in state affairs, Murat III. he immediately in Venice, through his vizier Sijavuš Pasha, who is assumed to be of Croatian origin, ordered the best equipment for his doomed harem. Thus, 5,000 round window panes, as well as many different loads of luxury goods, were loaded onto the large merchant ship Gagliano grossa. However, the sailing was delayed several times, so the ship arrived in the Zadar area before the winter ban on sailing, which began at the beginning of November and lasted until the end of January. The ship sank near Gnalić, probably breaking on the rocks, so the ordered glasses never reached the sultan's harem, but the archives reveal that the Venetian Senate decided to send them again. Today, there are a number of theories about the sinking of the ship.
It is an open question whether the ship was engulfed in fire or whether there was damage caused by bad weather. It is also possible that it was attacked by a pirate ship, and there is also a theory that it was deliberately sunk. This doubt arose because of Captain Finardi's resume, which shows that he had much more income at his disposal than he could have earned as a captain. Captain Alvise Finardi was an experienced sailor who had survived two shipwrecks even before Gnalić, and a year after the shipwreck near Gnalić he was already in command of another merchant ship.
The Gagliana grossa was loaded with expensive goods, it even carried a very valuable shipment of jewels, which was saved because the Serenissima, that is, the Republic of Venice, immediately launched a rescue operation.
Regardless of what led to the sinking of the ship, it is crucial for us to relive that moment in history now. We are particularly interested in the fate of the Croats who were in some way connected with the ship and the shipwreck. For example, Captain Finardi was a great friend of Ivan of Vrana, a wealthy entrepreneur in Venice and admiral on the Venetian commanding ship in the famous Lepanto color. He was originally from Vrana near Biograd na moru. Furthermore, the ship's scribe Šimun Fazanić was originally from Hvar. Also, the ship Gagliana grossa, owned by the Venetian merchant Odoardo da Gagliano, was built by the shipbuilder Frane Valenčić, originally from Korčula. His father was also a famous shipbuilder in the Venetian Arsenal.
Our archaeologists found the shipwreck, which is located at a depth of thirty meters, only in 1967.
The location of the shipwreck was known in the early 1960s, but only in 1967 did this information reach prof. Ivo Petricioli from the then Faculty of Philosophy in Zadar. He visited the site and, with the help of two divers, got some materials and immediately realized that it was an interesting place that deserved research. In less than a month, together with conservators Ksenija Radulić and Božidar Vilhar and Sofija Petriciola from the National Museum in Zadar, he organized the first operation to rescue cargo. Then they managed to organize two smaller campaigns in 1968, so everything stopped until 1972 and 1973. Finally, in 1973, Ksenija Radulić wrote in the final report that at that moment there was no financial, professional or logistical strength to continue such a demanding project. However, she emphasized that it is an extremely important site that should definitely be systematically investigated. And not only the ship's cargo, but also the ship's equipment, and the ship itself, which is very well preserved.
Then, in 1996, archaeologist Zdenko Brusić decided to continue research together with a German investor who wanted to invest funds to establish a center for underwater archeology here. That initiative was stopped in 1997 due to administrative problems. Then, in the early 2000s, Slovenian, Italian and Austrian scientists showed interest in the Gnalić site and, in cooperation with our archaeologists, processed part of the material from the ship, which is kept in the Native Museum in Biograd.
It is estimated that Gagliano Grossa's ship was about 40 meters long, and its carrying capacity was about 750 tons. It is one of the best-preserved sunken ships of the Renaissance, whose cargo was surprisingly well preserved despite more than 400 years spent under the sea, and it was found in an extremely large quantity. So far, more than 20,000 items from the sunken ship have been found on the site near the islet of Gnalić, which are kept in the Biograd na Moru Local Museum. Among the items found is a collection of glasses from that period, round window panes, parts of luxury tableware and glasses, beads (more than 300,000), parts of candlesticks, sealers, paint materials for painting, pieces of wooden ship's paneling... A particularly interesting item was found in a chained chest: although it was initially thought to be a treasure, it turned out to be 54 meters of uncut damask, perhaps a gift for Sultania Nurbana, mother of Murat III. Nurbana, who was kidnapped by pirates in 1537, when she was only 12 years old, so her true identity was lost. It was rumored that it was Cecilia Venier Baffo, a girl of Venetian origin. Cecilia was brought to the harem of Prince Selim II, the son of Suleiman's beloved wife Hurem. In the harem, she was named Nurbanu, that is, ''divine queen of hair that shines'' and became Selim's most important wife. With his son Murat III. she equally ruled the Ottoman Empire until her death.
