Roman shipwreck laden with ancient amphorae found off Sicily coast

2,100-year-old shipwreck hailed as one of Italy's most important underwater discoveries in years. Italian authorities have announced the discovery of a Roman-era shipwreck off the coast of Sicily, found carrying hundreds of ancient amphorae and described by the country's culture minister as one of the most significant underwater archaeological finds in recent years. The wreck was located about three nautical miles off Mazara del Vallo, on Sicily's south-western coast, at a depth of 46 metres. It is provisionally dated to between the second and first centuries BC, making it roughly 2,100 years old. The find was made during a joint inspection by the Carabinieri unit for the protection of cultural heritage in Palermo, the Sicilian regional sea superintendency and the Carabinieri underwater unit from Messina, supported by a patrol boat from Trapani, after members of the public flagged the site to authorities. On the seabed, investigators found hundreds of amphorae - a tall, cylindrical vessel widely used across the Mediterranean in the late Republican era, principally to transport wine. Two lead anchor stocks and a further structure made of the same metal were also documented at the site. According to reports, the vessel itself is thought to have measured around 21 metres in length and six metres across. Importance of the discovery Culture minister Alessandro Giuli called the discovery "one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years", congratulating the Carabinieri's specialist units and the sea superintendency of the Sicilian region for the expertise that made the find possible. In a statement, he said the sea continued to give back precious fragments of Italy's history, and that the Mazara del Vallo wreck spoke of the people, trade routes and exchanges that made the Mediterranean a crossroads of civilisations. One of the divers involved described the emotion of the discovery, saying it was hard to put into words what it felt like to be among the first people, after almost 20 centuries, to see the site again. Authorities said the site would now be the focus of further study, documentation and protective measures, with additional scientific surveys planned in the coming months to reconstruct the archaeological context of the wreck and safeguard it from looting. Culture officials noted that the waters of western Sicily continue to yield rich traces of centuries of Mediterranean navigation, trade and cultural exchange. Photo Ministero della Cultura

WIRE — 2,100-year-old shipwreck hailed as one of Italy's most important underwater discoveries in years. Italian authorities have announced the discovery of a Roman-era shipwreck off the coast of Sicily, found carrying hundreds of ancient amphorae and described by the country's culture minister as one of the most significant underwater archaeological finds in recent years. The wreck was located about three nautical miles off Mazara del Vallo, on Sicily's south-western coast, at a depth of 46 metres. It is provisionally dated to between the second and first centuries BC, making it roughly 2,100 years old. The find was made during a joint inspection by the Carabinieri unit for the protection of cultural heritage in Palermo, the Sicilian regional sea superintendency and the Carabinieri underwater unit from Messina, supported by a patrol boat from Trapani, after members of the public flagged the site to authorities. On the seabed, investigators found hundreds of amphorae - a tall, cylindrical vessel widely used across the Mediterranean in the late Republican era, principally to transport wine. Two lead anchor stocks and a further structure made of the same metal were also documented at the site. According to reports, the vessel itself is thought to have measured around 21 metres in length and six metres across. Importance of the discovery Culture minister Alessandro Giuli called the discovery "one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years", congratulating the Carabinieri's specialist units and the sea superintendency of the Sicilian region for the expertise that made the find possible. In a statement, he said the sea continued to give back precious fragments of Italy's history, and that the Mazara del Vallo wreck spoke of the people, trade routes and exchanges that made the Mediterranean a crossroads of civilisations. One of the divers involved described the emotion of the discovery, saying it was hard to put into words what it felt like to be among the first people, after almost 20 centuries, to see the site again. Authorities said the site would now be the focus of further study, documentation and protective measures, with additional scientific surveys planned in the coming months to reconstruct the archaeological context of the wreck and safeguard it from looting. Culture officials noted that the waters of western Sicily continue to yield rich traces of centuries of Mediterranean navigation, trade and cultural exchange. Photo Ministero della Cultura

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