NBCMaine
Goldstein: 0.0CAMEO 01
Divers have uncovered a Roman-era shipwreck that had remained untouched on the seabed off the coast of Sicily for more than 2,000 years, police on the Mediterranean island said.
Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli described it on social media as “one of the most significant underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years,” with experts dating the vessel back to the first or second century B.C.
“The sea continues to reveal precious evidence of our history,” Giuli said. “This shipwreck tells the story of the people, trade routes, and exchanges that made the Mediterranean a crossroads of civilizations.”
After a tipoff from residents, the ship was discovered by divers around 3 miles off Sicily’s western coast and about 150 feet below the surface, Italian authorities said in a statement.
“It’s hard to explain what it feels like to think that we’re among the first humans, after nearly 20 centuries, to see that place again,” Giacomo de Mola, a member of the team that found the ship, said in a video post on Facebook.
Hundreds of clay jars known as amphorae were discovered inside the shipwreck, alongside lead anchor stocks and other artifacts, police said.
In a separate Facebook post, De Mola said they could have come from all over the ancient world and the artifacts could be “likely North African amphorae, and a Neo-Punic amphora.”
The discovery could play a key role in helping experts form “a reconstruction of trading routes and also an ancient risk map of the Mediterranean,” according to Simon Stoddart, a professor of archeology at Britain’s University of Cambridge.
Experts will examine the shipwreck alongside previous discoveries throughout the Mediterranean to help paint a picture of the ancient maritime world, Stoddart, who was not part of the team that made the discovery, told NBC News in an email Monday.
The depth of this shipwreck also makes this discovery both remarkable and relatively rare, he added.
However, he cautioned, recording and retrieving “where ethically appropriate” material from the vessel would be a challenge “since this requires specialist equipment and short visits to this depth.”
As it is impossible to always be present at an underwater site, he said, “the location will need to be kept secret until a decision is made as to whether excavation is practical and whether it can be properly resourced.”
Police said they would further document the site to understand the “appropriate protective measures” that need to be implemented and the goal is “safeguarding the historical artifacts preserved on the seabed and returning them to the public.”
For de Mola, the personal impact of the discovery, was enormous. “This time, we didn’t just find a shipwreck. We found a piece of our history.”
Open article →NBCUnited States
Goldstein: -10.0Tone: -77.8CAMEO 19
Tate brothers in Miami court after new U.K. charges
03:02
Ukraine targets Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov
00:53
Firefighters battle blaze in France's Fontainebleau forest amid deadly fires in Europe
01:40
The Bayeux Tapestry returns to England after nearly 1,000 years
01:28
Deadly wildfire sweeps across parts of southern Spain
00:46
Russia launches deadly wave of missiles and drones on Kyiv
00:52
Protests turn violent in Albania over development backed by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner
02:40
Russia launches deadly hourslong attack on Kyiv
01:09
Centuries-old Roman shipwreck discovered off the coast Italy
00:49
Copied
Divers discovered a centuries-old Roman shipwreck about three miles off the coast of Sicily after a tip from the public. The site, believed to be dated between the second and first centuries B.C., contains hundreds of clay jugs and two lead anchor stocks.Aug. 10, 2026
Open article →BBCUnited States
Goldstein: —Tone: —
Ancient Roman shipwreck discovered off Sicily coast
- Published
Italian divers have discovered an ancient Roman shipwreck off the coast of Sicily, believed to be more than 2,000 years old.
The vessel was found piled high with hundreds of well-preserved containers, which were used to transport goods such as wine and olive oil.
Italy's Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli hailed the wreck as "one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years".
Specialist police divers found the ship around 46m (150ft) deep, after a tip-off from fishermen. The wreckage is 21m (69ft) long and 6m (20ft) wide, according to reports in local media.
The culture ministry says it dates from the second or 1st Century BC.
Fisherman and free-diver Giacomo De Mola described stumbling across the historic vessel while surveying the seabed near Mazara del Vallo.
He wrote on social media that he had decided to dive and investigate after seeing something that appeared to be a large rock on his scanner.
"I get closer. And my heart stops. It wasn't a rock," he said. Instead, he saw hundreds of amphorae - tall ceramic jars used to store goods in the ancient era, mostly wine, oil or grain.
"This is, without a doubt, the most incredible discovery of my life," he said. "It's hard to describe what it feels like to be among the first humans, in nearly 20 centuries, to see that place again."
He posted a video of the wreck, showing eels, snappers and "countless marine life" living among the jars, noting: "The sea never ceases to amaze us.
"This time we didn't just find a wreck, we found a piece of our history."
Specialist divers from the cultural heritage protection arm of Italy's police, known as the Carabinieri Art Squad, were sent to the site.
Officials say safety measures will be taken to safeguard it while it undergoes investigation, as experts work to determine the nature of the wreck and learn more about its cargo.
The Mediterranean seabed is thought to be scattered with similar ancient wrecks.
Another 1st or 2nd Century BC vessel was found north-west of Rome in 2023, again laden with hundreds of amphorae.
In 2018, a Greek merchant ship dating back more than 2,400 years was found lying on its side off the Bulgarian coast. At the time, it was hailed as the world's oldest-known intact shipwreck.
Related topics
- Published28 July 2023
- Published23 October 2018
- Published17 July
Open article →