In brief
Italian diver Giacomo De Mola found a Roman vessel lying 46 m deep off Sicily, stacked with hundreds of amphorae of wine, olive oil and grain. The wreck, 21 m long, was catalogued by Italy’s Culture Ministry as a major underwater find. The Carabinieri Art Squad are now securing the site for careful study. Similar ancient ships have been found along the Mediterranean, shedding light on Roman commercial routes.
Italian divers have uncovered an ancient Roman shipwreck off the coast of Sicily, dating to the 1st or 2nd Century BC. The vessel lies 46 m (150 ft) beneath the waves and is packed with hundreds of amphorae—ceramic jars once used for shipping wine, olive oil, and grain.
"It was one of the most incredible discoveries of my life," said free‑diver Giacomo De Mola, who first spotted the remains while using a sonar scanner. He posted a video showing the wreck now home to eels, snappers and other marine life, remarking that the sea never ceases to amaze us.
The wreck is 21 m (69 ft) long and 6 m (20 ft) wide, and its well‑preserved cargo offers scholars a rare glimpse into Roman commercial operations. Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli praised the find as “one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years.”
Specialist divers from the Carabinieri Art Squad—Italy’s police unit tasked with safeguarding cultural heritage—are now on site to conserve the wreck. Safety protocols will protect the ship while researchers work to determine its exact origins and cargo details.
The Mediterranean seabed is thought to be littered with similar ancient wrecks. Another Roman‑era vessel was discovered north‑west of Rome in 2023, and a merchant ship dated to 2,400 years ago was found off the Bulgarian coast in 2018, the oldest intact shipwreck known at the time.
This discovery underscores the richness of submerged cultural heritage and the invaluable role of modern technology and citizen‑scientists in uncovering it.
