Discovery of Roman shipwreck laden with hundreds of ceramic jars off the coast of Sicily

Italian divers have discovered the wreck of a Roman ship off the coast of Sicily, laden with hundreds of well-preserved Greek ceramic jars (amphorae) that were likely used to transport wine.

Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli described the vessel, which dates back at least 2,100 years, as “one of the most important recent discoveries in underwater archaeology.” It was found five kilometers from the shore near Mazara del Vallo, in western Sicily.

Divers from the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of the Palermo police announced on Saturday that they had located the ship, estimated to date from between the second and first centuries BC, at a depth of 46 meters, thanks to information provided by local fishermen.

In an Instagram post accompanied by a video of the discovery, the fisherman-diver Giacomo Di Mola said he had stumbled upon the wreck by chance. He stated, “Visibility wasn’t very clear. I approached and was amazed by what I saw. I opened my eyes wide; there were plenty of amphorae.”

According to local media, the ship measures 21 meters in length and six meters in width, and carried primarily ceramic vessels originally used for transporting wine.