Ship sheds at Ancient Oiniades, Greece.

Ship sheds at Oiniades, Greece. This large rectangular complex was carved out of the bedrock and created for the construction and repair of triremes, Greek naval vessels famous for defeating the Persian navy at the Battle of Salamis, 480 B.C. Overgrown, it was noticed by travellers in the 19th century and first excavated in 1900, then again in 1992. The monument dates to the 4th century B.C. and many of its architectural features are similar to those of the famous Zea ship sheds in Piraeus, also designed for triremes. The building comprised six ramps with floors inclined towards the harbour, linked by a channel to the Achelous River 2km away to the left, and thence to the sea 10km beyond. The complex originally had an undulating roof supported by 5 colonnades, each of 17 columns., by DAVID PARKER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY