An Italian diver and spearfishing champion on a routine foray in the waters off Sicily recently happened upon the remains of an ancient shipwreck, which Italy’s Ministry of Culture has said is “one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years.”
The diver, Giacomo de Mola, was exploring about three miles off the coast of Mazara del Vallo in southwestern Sicily with an assistant when sonar revealed an underwater structure that he initially thought was a rock. Visibility was low, but he pushed on, coming upon what he called in a video on social media “the most incredible discovery of my life.”
“My heart stopped,” Mr. de Mola said, describing what he saw. A close look revealed a pile of hundreds of ancient amphorae — clay vessels with handles that had been used by ancient Greeks, Romans and Phoenicians to store and transport goods.
The mound of artifacts, many apparently still intact, covered an area of about 6 feet by nearly 70 feet, Mr. de Mola said, and presented “a treasure at the bottom of the sea.” Mr. de Mola reached out to an expert, who connected him with the authorities in Sicily who soon visited the site themselves and confirmed that this was indeed a historically significant find.
The newly discovered underwater archaeological site most likely dates back to a shipwreck about 2,000 years ago during the Roman era between the second and first centuries B.C., said Alessandro Giuli, Italy’s minister of culture, in a statement on Saturday.
He said that the initial find had been made by unnamed private citizens, referring to Mr. de Mola, and was later confirmed by various law enforcement teams in Sicily specializing in cultural heritage.
Mr. Giuli said that the Italian authorities would continue to document and study the site of the shipwreck to reconstruct “the archaeological context” and to ensure the necessary protective measures are taken to preserve the illuminating find. Discovered along with the hundreds of amphorae were two lead anchor stocks, or parts of ancient anchors.
Amphorae were used in ancient Mediterranean cultures to store and transport goods like olives, oil, wine, honey, grains and other items. The vessels were usually curved with a long narrow neck and two handles, but their shape varied somewhat depending on use.
Those used for storage typically had a flat bottom, giving the ceramic containers stability and enabling them to stand up. Vessels that were used for transport, however, commonly tapered into narrow pointed bottoms, making them easier to pack on ships without taking up a lot of space.
Most of the amphorae discovered at the new site in Sicilian waters were of the variety with narrow, pointed bottoms, according to Mr. Giuli and based on video from the area released by Mr. de Mola, as well as video shared by the Italian authorities.
“The sea continues to yield precious fragments of our history,” Mr. Giuli said, noting that the find “speaks to us of the people, trade routes and exchanges that turned the Mediterranean into a crossroads of civilizations.”
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