Phoenician shipwrecks of Mazarrón

The Phoenician shipwrecks of Mazarrón are two wrecks dated to the 7th century BC, found off the coast of Mazarrón, in the Region of Murcia, Spain. The shipwreck site was identified in 1988 by archaeologists from the Spanish National Museum of Maritime Archaeology and the National Center for Underwater Archaeological Research. In July 1991, the remains of a first ship, dubbed Mazarrón I, were identified, and has undergone excavation, extraction, and restoration since 1993. It is currently on display at the Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Cartagena. The second shipwreck, dubbed Mazarrón II, was discovered in 1994, and was found in a better state of preservation. After years of study, its was extracted in November 2024. The shipwrecks demonstrates hybrid shipbuilding techniques including pegged mortise and tenon joints, as well as sewn seams, providing evidence of technological experimentation in maritime construction during the Iron Age. In 2009, the Centro de Interpretación del Barco Fenicio del Puerto de Mazarrón (Interpretation Center of the Phoenician Ship of the Port of Mazarrón) was inaugurated.