A sunken antique ship with hundreds of antique amphorae has been discovered off the coast of Sicily.

Italian Carabinieri, together with the Sicilian Department of Maritime Cultural Heritage, discovered a sunken ancient Roman ship with hundreds of amphorae off the coast of the city of Mazzara del Vallo. This was reported on August 8 by the ANSA news agency with reference to the Italian Ministry of Culture.

It is specified that the ship is located at a depth of 46 m, about three nautical miles from the coast. According to preliminary data, the ship belongs to the period of the II–I centuries BC. Experts have recorded hundreds of amphorae on board, mostly of the Dressel 1A type. In addition, the researchers found two anchor rods and a lead structure.

The ministry stressed that the find is of great importance for studying the underwater cultural heritage of the region. Sicilian specialists are currently continuing to document and study the remains of the ship and its cargo. The researchers plan to study the archaeological context in detail and develop measures to protect the discovered object.

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Arkeonews magazine reported on July 13 that a unique carved relief depicting the Roman guardian spirit of Genius was discovered under the floor of a barracks from the late Roman period in the Vindolanda camp fortress. The find, which is more than 1.6 thousand years old, has been preserved in excellent condition due to the protective layer of masonry above it.