SummarySome 660 shipwrecks earlier than AD 1500 have been reported from the Mediterranean and the Roman Provinces. Study of their location, cargoes, date, and other features has been made easier by a computer data file. The system has been specially written in COBOL for use on an ICL 4/75; input is from 80‐column cards to magnetic tape, and output is normally in the form of printed lists. Despite limitations, the index has already proved a valuable aid to researc