One day it went out to sea… and did not reach its destination. It was lost at the bottom of the waters. The ship sunk 2200 years ago was full of amphorae. And a couple of millennia later, they are still very well preserved, as verified by those who have just discovered it.
Wine amphorae
Italian Carabinieri found it at the bottom of the sea, off the coast of Civitavecchia, in central Italy. It is a merchant ship from Ancient Rome dating back to the 2nd century BC. How deep in the sea was it? It was about 160 meters deep. Hundreds of perfectly preserved amphorae were found inside the ship.
The discovery is a clear example of the shipwrecks that occurred at the time. It is also evidence of the ancient trade routes in the area, the Carabineros explained in a statement. In its reconstruction, the vessel found, whose size could exceed 20 meters in length, could have faced a reef in the sea in an attempt to reach the coast.
Several underwater robots were used to inspect the terrain. It was these that revealed the presence of an ancient wreck of a Roman onerary ship. It is a type of transport ship not only commercial, but also military. On the ship you can still see the cargo composed of hundreds of Roman amphorae of the type “Dressel 1 B”. These were used for the transport of wine. Most of the vessels found are intact and were in a tank.
Sonar robot
The ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) robot includes a sonar and an echo sounder. Together with the help of a modern patrol boat, it allowed the complete mapping of the submerged archaeological site. The identification of the ship was found near two Roman anchor trunks belonging to the ancient vessel. The National Superintendence of Underwater Cultural Heritage of Taranto will now take care of the identification of the ship. They will process the necessary procedures to inspect and safeguard the archaeological area. And to enhance the value of the ship sunk 2200 years ago.
