In what has been hailed as a major underwater archaeological find, a 2,100-year-old Roman shipwreck has been discovered off the coast of Sicily. Piled high with hundreds of well-preserved ancient clay jars, the vessel was located about three miles off Mazara del Vallo at a depth of approximately 150 feet.
Italy's Culture Minister, Alessandro Giuli, celebrated the find, calling it "one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years." The vessel, estimated to date back to between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, was found after police divers from the cultural heritage protection division in Palermo acted on a tip-off from local fishermen.
The initial sighting was made by underwater fisherman Giacomo De Mola, who noticed an unusual shape on his boat's sonar. "I saw 'something' on my boat's underwater scanner which resembled a rock," De Mola shared in an Instagram post, explaining that he decided to dive down to investigate anyway.
Despite poor underwater conditions, De Mola made a historic find. "Visibility wasn't the best… I got closer. And my heart stopped. Below me was a vast expanse of amphorae," he recalled. He described the encounter as "without a doubt, the most incredible discovery of my life" and added, "It's hard to explain what it feels like to be among the first human beings, after almost twenty centuries, to see that place again." De Mola immediately reported his findings to the Superintendent of the Sea of the Sicilian Region.
Local media reports indicate that the ancient ship measures approximately 21 meters in length and six meters in width. Its cargo consisted primarily of Dressel 1A amphorae—tall, cylindrical clay jars that were commonly used during the Roman era to transport wine.
Divers from the cultural heritage protection arm of Palermo's police said Saturday they had located the ship, thought to date to between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, some 150 feet down, after a tip-off from fishermen.
Scoperto al largo di Mazara del Vallo un relitto romano del II-I sec a.C., con centinaia di anfore.«Una delle più importanti scoperte archeologiche subacquee degli ultimi anni», dichiara il Min Giuli, congratulandosi con @_Carabinieri_ Nucleo TPC e SopMare della Regione Sicilia pic.twitter.com/H1JbfX8MzF
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