Discovered an Ancient Roman Empire Merchant Ship in the 'Underwater Treasure Vault'... What Items Were Fully Loaded?

Discovered Shipwreck Estimated from 1st-2nd Century BC
"Likely Transported Wine and Olive Oil from Spain"

An ancient Roman Empire merchant ship was discovered off the coast of Italy. It is believed that this ship likely sank while returning from Spain loaded with goods.

The Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica reported on the 28th (local time) that “the Archaeology Department of the Italian Cultural Heritage Protection Agency and the National Underwater Cultural Heritage Supervision Agency, which protects and regulates underwater cultural heritage, collaborated to find a ship sunk at a depth of about 160 meters near the port of Civitavecchia, close to the capital Rome.”

The ship is believed to have been built in the 1st to 2nd century BCE, and its length is estimated to have been about 30 meters.

The ship was carrying hundreds of mostly intact amphorae, which were primarily used during the Roman Empire era to transport wine and olive oil.

An amphora is a long jar with a bulging body from ancient Greek and Roman times. Its neck is cylindrical and stable at the base, with two vertical handles extending from the neck to the body. Amphorae were used not only to hold water, oil, and alcohol but also to store foodstuffs such as grains and fish, making them the most widely used pottery of the time.

Archaeologists analyzed that “this ship likely sank while returning to Rome from Spain, carrying olive oil, wine, peaches, and figs.”

Ancient Roman Empire merchant ship loaded with amphorae discovered in the Italian seabed
[Image source: Provided by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities]

During ancient Roman times, wine production and trade flourished. Additionally, Romans consumed enormous amounts of olive oil in their daily lives. At that time, Spain and Portugal served as production bases to meet this huge demand.

The Cultural Heritage Protection Agency stated in a press release, “This special discovery is an important case showing the sinking of a Roman Empire ship and serves as evidence of ancient maritime trade routes.”

The seabed along Italy’s Mediterranean coastline is called a treasure trove of sunken ships. For this reason, police scuba diving teams regularly patrol to protect artifacts.

In 2021, Sicilian archaeologists discovered two ancient Roman ships near the coast of Palermo and the island of Ustica. Both ships were loaded with large quantities of amphorae. These shipwrecks are estimated to have sunk about 2,000 years ago.

In 2013, a ship built in the 2nd century BCE was found almost intact off the coast of Genoa, the capital of Liguria.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.