Serbian archaeologists look at a river ship found at the ancient Roman city of Viminacium

At the site of the Roman camp known as Viminacium, the capital of the ancient province of Moesia Superior, archaeologists in Serbia are investigating the remnants of what they claim to be a 13-meter-long river ship.

At the location of the historic Roman camp and city, which is located 144 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of the Serbian capital Belgrade, coal miners have already discovered ancient relics of past life.

Archaeologist at the camp Ilija Dankovic said, “Here it is very difficult to find organic material, especially when it is not in water, but we were lucky enough to find preserved vessels in the field, at a depth of seven meters”

"It was not found in its entirety, it was damaged a lot, but the wood is good, the wood is in good condition. It looks really great," commented Dragana Gavrilovic, a colleague of his.

Experts who have been investigating the area for years have now moved the ship's scraps to the archaeological camp, where more investigation is being conducted.

"We moved it and buried it in sand so that the wood would not dry out," said Gavrilovic, "because wood is one of the most delicate materials, and if it dries out it will fall apart, so in this way we actually preserve the wood."

It is currently unknown exactly what time period the ship is from. As evidenced by the discovery of similar vessels three years prior, shipbuilding methods in the area have not evolved significantly over the years.

Because of this, researchers believe the ship may be from the past century or perhaps the time of the Romans.

Ilija Dankovic stated, “The samples were sent last week to the laboratory in Hungary, and in a few months' time we expect to receive the results and then there will be no more doubts.”

The team needs more time and money to study the ship in depth.

Visitors won't be able to see it until a museum is constructed to house all the ships and boats that have been discovered along this section of the River Danube, according to the archaeologists, who claim they will request for money from Serbia's Ministry of Culture.