October 08, 2025

Sunken Treasures: A Few of Our Favorite Things

We dove into the exhibit to find a few gems!

Sunken Treasures, Ancient Seas is the newest exhibit here at Fernbank, and is on view through Jan. 11, 2026. Staff had a chance to do a quick walkthrough the afternoon before it opened, and we picked out a few of our favorite pieces to highlight!

Naval Battering Ram

This piece was attached to the bow of a ship and allowed ancient Romans to ram the enemy's hull, pull in close to board the ship, then retract their own ship. It's made of bronze and weighs around 300 lbs. according to our registrar! A relief of the goddess Nike is cast on the upper part, with a Latin inscription beneath.

Part of the amazing aspect of this piece is that it was pinpointed to a specific date - March 10, 241 BCE - at the battle site that ended the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage. Now that's ancient!

Amphoras with Coral and Other Sea Life

On view are a variety of amphora, which were terracotta vessels used for transport and storage. Since many spent so long in the deep sea, they show signs of sea life, such as the coral formation found on the olive oil transport vessel above. The map behind this vessel also shows all of the areas that shipwrecks were found off the coast of Italy, including where some of the artifacts were recovered from!

Colossal Elephant Paw

This bronze piece, depicting the paw of an elephant, was most likely part of a colossal statue of a war elephant or possibly part of a sculptural ensemble of a chariot drawn by elephants. Either way, the immense size of this piece and the intricate detail, makes you marvel at the grand scale the full piece must have been!

All the Small Things

From coins to jewelry and even a singular die, there are so many small pieces that could have been easily overlooked. Imagine finding these small pieces deep in the sea. The golden coin is particularly interesting because it's made of Electrum, which is a metal alloy, and is the only existing example in the world of a Punic coin made of this alloy found at sea!

Were any of these your favorites? If not, what was your favorite? Let us know on social media @FernbankMuseum!

Make sure to sea Sunken Treasures, Ancient Seas before it moves on to new waters, on view daily now though Jan. 11, 2026. Also, check out the rest of our events on our Calendar of Events.