CIRCA 1ST CENTURY A.D.

In the 1st Century A.D., the Emperor Caligula ordered several large barges to be built on Lake Nemi. The two vessels, which were designated in modern times as First Ship and Second Ship, measured 230 ft x 66 ft and 240 ft x 79 ft, respectively. While presumably the large ships were built at the erratic whim of the ostentatious Emperor, their intended purpose and use has long been the subject of speculation by scholars and historians. Some debate that Caligula built the barges to show the rulers of Syracuse, Sicily, and Egypt of Rome's unrivalled wealth and splendour. Other scholars argue that Caligula designed one of his ships as a temple to the goddess Diana, who was venerated at the site, and some contend that the second ship may have been used as a floating palace where Caligula and his court held lavish and debauched parties.

This nail is said to have come from the Second Ship and from its long length, one can visualise the impressive size of the ship and appreciate the advanced engineering accomplishments of the Romans.