Tarragona

(Tarragona, Tarragonès)

The Tarragona capital’s coastal waters have unshackled hoards of underwater archaeological remains over the years. In 1948, the Sarcophagus of Hypolit was recovered near Punta de la Mora; the exact reason why it was at the bottom of the sea remains a mystery. In 1951, thanks to the Reial Societat Arqueològica Tarraconense’s (Royal Archaeological Society of Tarragona) initiative, 14 Roman column fragments were extracted from Punta del Miracle. These fragments are the lone survivors of what was, without a doubt, a vessel that transported this type of building material.

The 1960s and 70s saw Museu Nacional d'Arqueologia de Tarragona (National Archaeology Museum of Tarragona) initiatives centred on investigating the Carbuncles anchorage, located directly in front of the city.

In 1992, the CASC surveyed the area in the wake of constructing the Port Esportiu, which was built thereafter. Studies performed in 1993, 1995 and 1996 contributed to the creation of the area’s underwater Archaeological Map.