Cape Ratac Wreck

Originally discovered in 1997, Cape Ratac Wreck sits just off the northern shore of Koločep, a charmingly small island only six miles from the historic city center of Dubrovnik. In fact, Koločep is so small that it has no car traffic and can only be accessed by foot via boat or scheduled ferry service from the mainland. The site is located about 200 m from the rocky outcrop of Cape Ratac, which opens into the Koločep Channel. Throughout the centuries, this channel was a critical sea route connecting traders and sailors to the heart of the Republic of Ragusa, a powerful maritime city-state of the medieval and early modern eras. The site is at a modest depth of only 20 to 21 m, where clear waters of the Adriatic reveal a seabed of coarse sand, limestone rocks, and occasional patches of Posidonia oceanica seagrass.

Provisional analyses reveal that the site is of a merchant vessel that sank with valuable Venetian-type glass presumably intended for the Ottoman markets or directly for Dubrovnik, a significant trading entrepôt in its own right (see Medici and Radić Rossi, 2015). In early June 2024, a team from INA, University of Zadar, and Texas A&M University revisited the site, sparking renewed interest. The project was designed as a pre-disturbance survey to evaluate the feasibility of future comprehensive excavations. The objectives for the season included verifying the location and mapping the extent of the site, reviewing the range of visible cultural materials, and documenting its current state of preservation, including any potential ship remains. The survey focused on the most exposed areas, where glass, ceramics, cannons, shipboard items, and ship timbers were still well-preserved under thin layers of bottom sediment. This diverse assortment of glass items, including stemware, flasks, vases, tubular lamps, and various windowpanes, offers a compelling glimpse into the interconnectedness of the Mediterranean world and its impact on ideas, artistic influences, and social and political life during the early modern era.

The team explored and photographed the visible extent of the site, which spanned approximately 26 x 10 m. It should be noted that these dimensions were based on visible surface features, and the true extent of the site can only be determined through sub-surface excavations. The site was characterized by the presence of six cast-iron cannons, numerous cannonballs (packed in boxes with other concreted objects), course earthenware and majolica ceramics, lead ingots, copper-alloy objects, and thousands of glass artifacts. The collection of glass seems to represent the majority of the vessel’s cargo. These artifacts came in a variety shapes, patterns, and designs, including utilitarian tubular hanging lamps, round and rectangular windowpanes, small polychrome beads, as well as luxury items such as stemware, cups, flasks, and vases. Stylistically, the assemblage from the Cape Ratac Wreck is tentatively associated with the first half of the 17th century, though further research is required to accurately date and contextualize it. In the central part of the site, preserved under a thin layer of sediment and scattered shingle ballast, the team uncovered the remains of the ship. The most prominent features included a large longitudinal timber, resembling a keelson, several tightly spaced framing elements inserted into notches cut along the keelson’s underside, and a stringer positioned at the overlaps between the floor timber and the first futtocks. Nearby, there was evidence of possible ceiling, and beneath the framing, potential hull planking was identified. The discovery of well-preserved timbers, along with an extensive assemblage of artifacts during this initial 2024 survey season, was very promising.

As of 2024, the pre-disturbance survey of the Cape Ratac Wreck has been completed. The site was successfully located and mapped, including detailed scaled ortho-photogrammetry, and the range of visible cultural material was reviewed and documented. Some surface finds were raised, recorded in the field, and then transported to the conservation facility at the Department of Archaeology of the University of Zadar. The team also conducted an extensive assessment of both logistical and financial requirements. With the tremendous support already received from INA, this preparation and research will enable the team to return to Croatia and potentially initiate future excavations of this significant early modern Adriatic site.