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Alkedo is a preserved Roman shipwreck that sank in the 1st century AD,[1] and was discovered during a construction project in Pisa, Italy.
 Alkedo on display in the Museum of Ancient Ships | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Alkedo |
| Status | Museum exhibit |
| General characteristics | |
| Length | 22 m (72 ft) |
In 1998 construction began on a control center for the Rome-Genoa train line next to Pisa San Rossore. During the project, a series of shipwrecks numbering about thirty were discovered, including Alkedo.[2]
Constructed of holm oak and pine, with an insert in the bow made of oak, it was rowed by twelve oarsmen, and used as a pleasure craft.[a][1][4] The ship's nearly intact hull has been preserved well enough to make out the inscription on a tablet nailed to one of the rower's benches; the inscription states the five letters that make up the word "ALK (E) DO". Translated from Latin to mean "seagull", which is thought to be the name of the ship.[1][3] Traces of red and white were visible on the external sides of the ship during its excavation, which indicates it was once painted.[1] It is displayed next to a full size replica in the Museum of Ancient Ships in Pisa, Italy.[2]
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- It may have been used as a patrol craft and later converted into a pleasure boat[3]
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