A Roman shipwreck carrying about 500 ceramic amphorae has been discovered roughly three miles off the coast of Mazara del Vallo in Sicily, Italy’s Carabinieri cultural heritage protection unit reports. The vessel lies at a depth of about 46 metres and is approximately 21 metres long and 6 metres wide.
The wreck was investigated by Carabinieri personnel with assistance from divers and underwater cameras after fishers provided a tip-off. Divers Giacomo De Mola and Igor Bisulli also recorded video of the site. The submerged vessel contains hundreds of two-handled jars with narrow necks, as well as parts of anchors.
Most of the cargo consists of Dressel 1A amphorae, a type widely used to transport wine. These containers are of particular interest to archaeologists because they can provide evidence about commercial networks connecting Italy with other parts of the Mediterranean during the second and first centuries BCE. The available reporting describes the wreck as approximately 2,100 years old, but further work is expected to establish its date more precisely.
Alessandro Giuli, Italy’s culture minister, called the find one of the country’s most important recent underwater archaeological discoveries. He said the cargo could provide evidence of the trade routes and exchanges that connected communities around the Mediterranean.
Sicily’s superintendency of the sea is expected to begin another phase of scientific documentation and research in the coming months. Archaeologists will investigate the likely origin and intended destination of the cargo, assess the condition of the surviving material and develop measures to protect the site.
The discovery adds to a series of Roman wrecks found in Italian waters. A vessel dating to the second century BCE was located off Palermo in 2021, while another Roman ship from roughly the same period was found off Liguria in 2013. The newly identified wreck lies in waters regarded by officials as an important area for underwater archaeology, although its cargo and precise history remain subjects for further study.
