Specialist Italian police divers have located a Roman-era vessel submerged approximately 46 meters off the coast of Sicily following a report from fishermen. The wreck, measuring 21 meters in length and 6 meters in width, is believed to originate from the second or 1st Century BC and contains numerous amphorae—ceramic storage jars historically used for transporting goods including wine, olive oil, and grain.
The discovery was made after Giacomo De Mola, a fisherman and free-diver, identified an unusual formation on his underwater scanner while surveying the seabed near Mazara del Vallo. Upon investigation, De Mola found the wreckage densely packed with hundreds of well-preserved containers. He documented the site with video footage showing marine life, including eels and snappers, inhabiting the ancient vessel.
Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli characterized the find as “one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years.” Specialized divers from the Carabinieri Art Squad, Italy’s cultural heritage protection unit, were deployed to the location to conduct further investigation and establish preservation protocols.
Officials are implementing safety measures to protect the wreck as experts work to determine additional details about the vessel’s origins and cargo composition. The Mediterranean region is known to contain numerous similar ancient wrecks, with comparable discoveries made in recent years, including another 1st or 2nd Century BC vessel found northwest of Rome in 2023 and a Greek merchant ship located off the Bulgarian coast in 2018.
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