Ancient Roman ships had lead-lined hulls to prevent damage from shipworms
Roman shipbuilders protected their massive wooden vessels by wrapping hulls in thin sheets of lead, creating a toxic barrier against destructive wood-boring mollusks known as shipworms.
Ancient Roman engineers developed a sophisticated method to protect their merchant fleets from Teredo navalis, a wood-boring mollusk that could compromise a ship in months. By attaching thin sheets of lead over a layer of resin-soaked linen, they created a waterproof shield that was toxic to these pests.
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