Roman shipwreck with hundreds of amphorae found off Sicily

An Italian diver discovered the remains of a Roman-era shipwreck roughly three miles off Mazara del Vallo in southwestern Sicily. The vessel, dating to the second or first century BC, lies at a depth of about 46 metres and measures approximately 21 metres long by 6 metres wide. Its cargo consists of hundreds of amphorae, many still intact, piled across an area of roughly 6 by 70 feet.

Italy’s Ministry of Culture described the find as one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years. Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli noted that the wreck supplies further evidence of the trade routes that made the Mediterranean a crossroads of civilisations. Most of the amphorae belong to the Dressel 1A type, commonly used to transport wine. Specialist police divers and underwater cameras confirmed the site after a tip from fishermen. Free-diver Giacomo de Mola, who first located the mound while surveying the seabed, called it the most significant discovery of his life.

The site offers a well-preserved snapshot of commercial exchange between Italy and other parts of the Mediterranean more than two millennia ago.