Specialist police divers have discovered a Roman shipwreck off the coast of Sicily, believed to be over 2,000 years old. The ancient vessel, found at a depth of about 46 metres near Mazara del Vallo, was packed with hundreds of well-preserved amphorae, the ceramic jars used in antiquity for transporting wine, oil, and grain.
The wreck measures 21 metres in length and 6 metres in width, according to Italy's culture ministry, which dates it to the 2nd or 1st Century BC. Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli described the find as "one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years."
Discovery by Local Fisherman
The initial discovery was made by Giacomo De Mola, a fisherman and free-diver, who noticed an unusual shape on his sonar scanner while surveying the seabed. Suspecting it might be a large rock, he dived to take a closer look. "I get closer. And my heart stops. It wasn't a rock," he wrote on social media. Instead, he found a dense collection of amphorae, with eels, snappers, and countless marine life sheltering among the ancient jars.
"This is, without a doubt, the most incredible discovery of my life," De Mola 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 added, "This time we didn't just find a wreck, we found a piece of our history."
Police Divers and Protection Measures
The Carabinieri Art Squad, Italy's cultural heritage protection unit, descended to the site following a tip-off from local fishermen. Italian authorities have confirmed that safety measures will be implemented to protect the site while experts conduct a full investigation into the wreck's origins and cargo.
The Mediterranean is known to hold many more such ancient wrecks. A similar vessel from the 1st or 2nd Century BC, also filled with amphorae, was found north-west of Rome in 2023. In 2018, a Greek merchant ship estimated to be over 2,400 years old was discovered off the Bulgarian coast, recognised at the time as the world's oldest known intact shipwreck.
Context: Deep-Sea Discoveries
This discovery follows other notable finds. Earlier, a US Navy destroyer sunk during World War II was found nearly 7,000 metres below sea level off the Philippines, making it the world's deepest shipwreck ever located. The USS Samuel B Roberts, known as "Sammy B," went down during a battle off Samar on October 25, 1944. A crewed submersible filmed and surveyed the hull over eight days, according to Caladan Oceanic, the Texas-based undersea technology company.
The Sicilian wreck, however, stands out for its remarkable preservation and historical significance. As experts begin their work, the find promises to shed new light on ancient maritime trade routes and the daily life of the Roman Empire.
