Ancient 2,000-Year-Old Roman Shipwreck Found Off Sicily

Italian police divers have uncovered an ancient Roman shipwreck off the coast of Sicily near Mazara del Vallo, believed to date back more than 2,000 years. The vessel was found at a depth of around 46 metres (150 feet), laden with hundreds of well-preserved amphorae — large ceramic jars used in antiquity to transport wine, olive oil and grain.

The Discovery

The wreck is 21 metres long and 6 metres wide, according to Italian media reports. Italy's Culture Ministry says it dates from the 2nd or 1st Century BC. Specialists from the Carabinieri Art Squad — a cultural-heritage protection unit — were deployed after a tip from local fishermen.

A Diver's Eyewitness Account

Fisherman and free-diver Giacomo De Mola described the moment he first spotted the wreck while surveying the seabed with a scanner. "I get closer. And my heart stops. It wasn't a rock," he wrote on social media. He found hundreds of amphorae with eels, snappers and other marine life living among them. "This is, without a doubt, the most incredible discovery of my life," he said.

Official Reaction

Italy's Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli hailed the find as "one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years." Authorities say protective measures are being taken while experts investigate the nature of the cargo and the identity of the vessel.

The Mediterranean is thought to hold many similar ancient wrecks. A comparable Roman-era ship was found north-west of Rome in 2023, and in 2018 a 2,400-year-old Greek merchant ship — then the world's oldest intact wreck — was discovered off Bulgaria.