Roman ship graffiti in the Tower of the Winds in Athens

Two Roman ship graffiti, depicting an unusual oared vessel with a pointed bow and additional sail, were discovered on the interior walls of the Tower of the Winds at the Acropolis of Athens. These graffiti, featuring distinctive elements such as thole pins and a possible multi-sheet sail, offer rare insights into Roman naval architecture and suggest parallels with shipwrecks and representations from Northern Europe, including the Baltic Sea. Unlike known contemporary depictions, these ships lack direct motive parallels, making them significant for understanding maritime design in antiquity.

Damianidis, K. A. (2016). Roman ship graffiti in the Tower of the Winds in Athens. Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt, Bd. 41, Nr. 1 (2011): Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt. https://doi.org/10.11588/AK.2011.1.34543