ARCHIVED - Bou Ferrer shipwreck in Vila Joiosa named Item of Cultural Interest

The Roman merchant vessel was carrying garum sauce for the Emperor when it sank in the 1st century

The shipwreck of the Roman merchant vessel the Bou Ferrer, which lies off the coast of La Vila Joiosa (Marina Baixa) in the province of Alicante, was declared the first underwater Item of Cultural Interest in the whole of the Comunidad Valenciana on Tuesday, when its new status was made official by publication in the official State bulletin.

This announcement affords greater protection for the 1st-century vessel which lies off the beaches of La Vila Joiosa and was discovered in 1999 by two divers named José Bou and Antoine Ferrer (hence the name given to the ship). From now on all activity in the water close to the wreck will be regulated, including the mooring of boats (which must be achieved using the buoys provided) and the presence of any vessels in the area immediately around the remains of the Bou Ferrer. Fishing is also restricted, as is any unauthorized visit to the wreck.

At present the 30-metre wreck of the Bou Ferrer is sealed off under the water to protect the main cargo, which is stored in amphorae manufactured in potteries such as the one at Villanueva de Puerto Real in Cádiz and consists of garum sauce and other salted fish products which were probably being transported back to Rome for the Emperor and his family when the boat sank less than a kilometre from the coast of Alicante. These products were highly valuable in Roman times, and the Bou Ferrer could carry up to 230 tons of them, making the cargo a hugely valuable one. 

So far 299 amphorae (out of a maximum load of 2,500) have been recovered from the wreck, as have four lead ingots – these made up the secondary cargo when the vessel sank, and were brought from the western Sierra Morena for transport to the ports of of Narbo, Rome and Naples. The bars are stamped with the legend “IMP. GER. AVG”, showing that they belonged to the Emperor of Rome himself, and it is hoped that future research will establish whether the owner was Caligula, Claudius or Nero. It has already been established that the wreck dates from the middle of the 1st century AD and was built in Naples.

The wreck is described as unique, as it is the best-preserved of all Roman merchant vessels which sank close enough to the shore for detailed archaeological investigation to be possible, thus providing a wealth of information for historians. 

Click for further information on the Bou Ferrer wreck and garum sauce.