Marsala Punic Warships: A New Examination & The Marburg Experiment

In the 1970s, off the west coast of Sicily, a wreck was discovered that was linked to the battle between the Romans and the Carthaginians at the Egadi Islands. The preserved after section of the ship included painted-on Punic letters that suggested the origin of the vessel.

The Punic wreck was excavated in several campaigns. Honor Frost, the director of this project presented in 1981 the final publication of the excavation in which she described the ship as a warship. The discovery of a "sister ship“ in close proximity was used to support Frost’s thesis, particularly as the bow of the ship had both a Punic character as well as remains of a wooden structure, which Frost interpreted as a battering ram. 

Frost's interpretation, as well as the function of the ram of the "sister ship“ are controversial.

In this article, the arguments of the warship thesis are examined and an alternative function of the bow construction of the "sister ship“ is presented through a modeling experiment that demonstrates what we believe to be the true function of the feature.