ITALY

A Maritime Pompeii

Pisa is famous for its leaning tower, but archeologists there are now uncovering an amazing fleet of ancient ships, some complete with crew and cargo.

By Barbie Nadeau | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Updated: 1:06  p.m. ET Nov 1, 2007

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  • Posted By: David VanR @ 11/10/2007 3:27:36 AM

    I expect some of the terra cotta amphorae to contain spaghetti. After it was harvested from the fields in autumn, spaghetti was often loaded onto these ships for transport to market.

    If we're lucky, we might even be able to figure out how they sauced it, back in the day!

  • Posted By: 13unlucky @ 11/06/2007 1:23:33 AM

    So many more pirates by these discoveried ships, and that's so Italian style of like Soprano TV series; (soap drama in the eye of a storm legend or theme to that latest PIRATE story): its like the "waterworld; MOVIE too!

  • Posted By: stefano rollero @ 11/05/2007 1:55:21 PM

    Thanks to the Directorate General of National Heritage Archaeological perform the tasks relating to the protection, preservation and enhancement of property in the territory, which sites, museums and archaeological parks, through the operation of the Superintendence of competent sector territorialmente.La Directorate General, moreover, promotes, develops and increases, even in international projects aimed at knowledge, documentation, use and enjoyment of property.
    The Directorate General of verification tasks on the Italian Archaeological School in Athens (SAIA).
    Stefano Rollero, artist, Turin.
    http://www.artmajeur.com/catanquader

  • Posted By: taichi-wuchi @ 11/03/2007 1:54:42 AM

    He is risen is true but unfortunately his words have been forgotten. Christians have turned to the Golden Calf of materialism and support war, corruption and torture. They are the supporting cast for "the Evil Empire". Compassion is no longer a Christian attribute. Without change in or objectives, policies and values, we create our own gloom and doom.

  • Posted By: alsnetz @ 11/01/2007 5:56:37 PM

    How the h does an article concerning an amazing archeological find inspire a political argument over global warming? I suppose Boston's winning the World Series is a result of global warming too........

    • Posted By: jameskbachman @ 11/02/2007 9:08:07 PM

      Of course. The Sox were hot.

  • Posted By: shstrahsburg @ 11/01/2007 9:39:58 PM

    What a fascinating discovery. Reading the article i'm surprised the area wasn't discovered earlier than it was. I hope I can visit and see the area one day to see these things. it's really cool to see how others lived thier lives before us. I'm glad the lion didn't make it to rome though. The gladiator fighting was a terrible thing. It blows my mind that so many people were into watching something so terrible.

    • Posted By: jameskbachman @ 11/02/2007 9:01:39 PM

      Like watching football players bash each others heads in isn't so bad by comparison?

  • Posted By: DDelmar @ 11/01/2007 6:38:13 PM

    I am repeatedly amazed and disappointed at how incredibly ignorant such a large portion of our population is. There is and has been for some times now irrefutable proof that the worlds average temperatures are rising and that as a result of this glaciers and other things like extended droughts are occurring more often that they previsouly had. Anyone who does not, "believe" this is happenning is simply incapable of intelligently examining the known facts. The only thing that is in doubt about global warming is the extent to which humans are to blame. It is my belief that governments should take immediate action to greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases their countries produce. Arizona Crown you are the exact type of ignorant religious idiot that is responsible for electing people like Bush. You are incapable of examining information in an intelligent, rational, logical manner. It is so very sad and frightening to realize that large portions of our country are populated by people very simialr to you. Your type are the morons who actually managed to force the Kansas City School District (only temporarily thank goodness) to teach "intelligent design" alongside evolution in biology. Thank goodness the science teachers stood up to the religious wackos. The incredibly dangerous thing about having a religious wacko for president is that he has enacted government policies as a direct result of his belief in an invisible man with magic powers that nobody can see or hear. I am just constantly angered and disapointed that in the year 2007 the greatest country in the world has elected a leader who is a religious wacko. An example of how crazy the situation is comes from his first presidential debate when he was running against Al Gore. He was asked who the most important person in his life was and he answered Jesus Christ. The President of the United States feels that the most important person in the world to him is a person intelligent people know to be imaginary. It's an invisible, unhearable man, that all the evidence shows doesn't exist, who has magical super powers. I mean why not say that superman is your most important man? It's just so sad. When did we fall so far behind Western Europe in terms of having a country that separated religion from goverment?

    • Posted By: joecalifornia @ 11/02/2007 6:49:34 PM

      man... I feel sorry for you.

  • Posted By: he is risen @ 11/02/2007 2:59:12 PM

    yes i am interested in learning from the past but always look forword to the future, i want to do that because if the past was so great that as a cluture we look to it for guidance in our futures than how much more can we look forword to in the future. however the way this is possible is to make sure we do not get bogged down in the present or the past we need a balence of freedom in each of the mind sets, so we can really expierance a healthy present and a more welcomed tomorrow

  • Posted By: rrdj71 @ 11/02/2007 2:52:40 PM

    Being of Italian descent I always found Pompeii one of the most fascinating stories in history and perhaps one that arose the most curiosity in me than any other story ever told until now.I love it who would've thought there was so much more going on in this BEAUTIFUL country that anyone ever knew before. FASCINATING. Wonderful work. I love archeologists!!

  • Posted By: rrdj71 @ 11/02/2007 2:51:41 PM

    Being of Italian descent I always found Pompeii one of the most fascinating stories in history and perhaps one that arose the most curiosity in me than any other story ever told until now.I love it who would've thought there was so much more going on in this BEAUTIFUL country that anyone ever knew before. FASCINATING. Wonderful work. I love archeologists!!

  • Posted By: rrdj71 @ 11/02/2007 2:50:11 PM

    Being of Italian descent I always found Pompeii one of the most fascinating stories in history and perhaps one that arose the most curiosity in me than any other story ever told until now.I love it who would've thought there was so much more going on in this BEAUTIFUL country that anyone ever knew before. FASCINATING. Wonderful work. I love archeologists!!

  • Posted By: Lynann @ 11/02/2007 2:48:37 PM

    This is really interesting, it is awesome that we can glean so much from the past. One day perhaps there no longer will be any mystery and the evolution of our kind, and our society will be an open book to us. One can only hope that this will be a valuable asset.

  • Posted By: he is risen @ 11/02/2007 2:48:26 PM

    i agree but not only to cope with the problems but to raise above them and not be bogged down by this "Gloom and Doom" so we can see ahead of this fake reality of fear that has been trying and succeeding to controle our culture

  • Posted By: taichi-wuchi @ 11/02/2007 12:28:39 PM

    I am not interested in Gloom and Doom; I am interested in learning from the past and correcting our direction accordingly. We have to perceive reality realistically and bring about the right solution for the situation. Otherwise, gloom and doom is our fate. We are being saturated with gloom and doom to prepare us for the worst instead of making the necessary changes to cope with the problems.

  • Posted By: bobhope11 @ 11/02/2007 9:51:55 AM

    wow dude thats really weird

  • Posted By: bobhope11 @ 11/02/2007 9:50:39 AM

    wow dude thats really weird!

  • Posted By: rbd4n @ 11/02/2007 9:47:19 AM

    Good dog until the end.

  • Posted By: rbd4n @ 11/02/2007 9:46:58 AM

    Good dog until the end.

  • Posted By: HappyDay41 @ 11/02/2007 8:44:47 AM

    I'm not sure about all the doom in the member comments about looking backward. The find of ships still significantly intact, with their cargo or skeletal remains of such, is entirely exciting. Physical confirmation of our forebearers gives us a fantastic link to the past, but also to who we are today. Did the doom-and-gloom crowd, who doesnt want to look back and learn, miss the lack of evidence for war? These weren't war ships, nor did they carry soldiers or weaponry to destroy their neighbors. The ancestors were traders; the nations were interdependent on each other for supplies, both basic and luxury. Maybe those folks gave us their future (our today) because they were smart enough to not destroy each other. Maybe cooperation and negotiation was a value they held dear.

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