2,000-year-old Roman shipwreck discovered off coast of Sicily
The discovery was made by an underwater fisherman who described it as the "most incredible" in his life.
Italian divers have made a remarkable underwater archaeological find off the coast of Sicily, unearthing the 2,100-year-old remains of a Roman ship laden with hundreds of well-preserved clay jars. The wreckage, dubbed by Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli as one of the most significant discoveries in recent times, was located roughly three miles off the town of Mazara del Vallo.
The ship, believed to have come to rest between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, was discovered at a depth of around 150 feet by divers from Palermo's police cultural heritage protection squad. Their location was facilitated by a tip-off from local fishermen.
Underwater fisherman Giacomo De Mola recounted his awe-inspiring discovery in an Instagram post, describing the site as "the most incredible discovery of my life." Visibility was poor, but De Mola decided to investigate nonetheless and stumbled upon a vast array of amphorae, along with video footage of the remarkable find. He immediately reported the discovery to Sicily's regional sea superintendent.
The ship, reportedly 21 meters long and six meters wide, was mostly carrying Dressel 1A amphorae - tall, cylindrical jars traditionally used for transporting wine.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
