A roman sprit-rigged vessel depiction from Marmara Island (Proconnesos), Turkey

Abstract

A Roman inscribed grave stela with a rare depiction of a sprit-rigged vessel was discovered in 1998 in the west necropolis of Saraylar on Marmara Island (ancient Proconnesos, modern Balikesir Province, Turkey). Dated to the 2nd-3rd century AD, it was stolen in 2002 and recovered in 2016, and is now housed at the Bandirma Archaeological Museum. This article details new information provided by this and other Roman sprit-rig depictions documented since the 1950s, and discusses the possible roles of sprit-rigged vessels in Roman trade on the Sea of Marmara and Aegean.