Roman shipwreck with up to 1,500 wine amphorae found off Sicily

An accidental discovery

A Roman shipwreck carrying a substantial cargo of wine amphorae has been found off southwestern Sicily. Sicilian authorities announced the discovery in August following an initial investigation near Mazara del Vallo. The wreck lies about 3 miles offshore at a depth of roughly 150 feet and contains at least 500 terra-cotta amphorae, possibly 1,500 or more, many intact and still stacked in position.¹

Giacomo De Mola and Igor Bisulli, two experienced spear fishers, encountered the site by chance in June while examining the seabed before a competition. Sonar had detected an unusually large structure about 3 to 4 miles from Mazara del Vallo that differed from the rocky formations they had sought.¹

De Mola, a former free-diving champion, descended with a mask and camera. He found an amphora field measuring about 70 feet by 20 feet and rising approximately 8 feet above the sand. He relayed the discovery through contacts linked to technical divers and Sicilian officials, prompting a formal archaeological response.¹

An exceptionally preserved cargo

Researchers emphasize the wreck’s scale in the Sicilian context and its unusual preservation rather than presenting it as the largest Roman vessel ever discovered in the Mediterranean. Roberto La Rocca, a maritime archaeologist with Sicily’s Department of Cultural Heritage and the Superintendency of the Sea, described it as one of the largest wrecks by dimensions found in Sicilian waters.¹

The wooden hull has decomposed, although parts may remain buried beneath the seabed. The orderly amphora arrangement indicates that the site probably escaped looting, an uncommon outcome for an ancient wreck in relatively shallow water near the coast. Fabio Portella, the independent underwater explorer who completed the first 3D survey in July, noted that artifact hunters could reach depths beyond ordinary recreational-diving limits and that Sicilian divers were recovering objects from deep sites as early as the 1960s.¹

Amphorae were attractive targets for illicit recovery because they were portable and commercially desirable. Each clay vessel often held nearly 6 gallons of wine and could weigh about 50 pounds when empty. A wreck could gradually be depleted one or two vessels at a time, while fishing nets could break containers and disperse artifacts.¹

Several circumstances may have protected this site. Portella said surrounding rocks probably kept bottom-trawling nets away, while sonar may have made the wreck resemble a large natural formation. Mazara del Vallo also has a strong fishing tradition but a less developed diving culture than Syracuse, Catania or Palermo, partly because murky water frequently limits visibility.¹

The manner of the sinking may have helped as well. La Rocca believes the ship probably foundered quickly in a storm before its crew could deploy all its anchors; the remains of two lead anchors are associated with the wreck. A rapid, upright descent could explain why the amphorae remained stacked instead of spreading across the seabed.¹

Questions about Roman wine routes

Justin Leidwanger, an archaeologist at Stanford University, said most of the containers appear to be Dressel 1A amphorae, a form widely used during the second and first centuries B.C. Such vessels frequently occur in wrecks near Spain, France and much of mainland Italy, but their presence off southwestern Sicily raises questions about this ship’s route and destination.¹

The location has led archaeologists to consider North Africa as a possible destination. If the proposed dating is confirmed, the wreck could indicate that Roman wine exports there expanded earlier than many scholars have assumed, during a period of rapidly growing commercial networks and increased investment by Italian aristocratic landowners in agriculture and trade.¹

Leidwanger considers central Italy the cargo’s probable source, but researchers have not established that origin. The loading pattern could show whether the shipment belonged to one large estate or combined goods from several producers. Seals or inscriptions might provide firmer evidence, although such traces are rarely preserved.¹

A different origin remains possible. Franca Cibecchini, a maritime archaeologist with France’s Ministry of Culture who oversees underwater archaeology in Corsica, said evidence of Sicilian production would be a significant development because the island’s wine industry during this period is poorly understood.¹

What the amphorae may reveal

Although the wine itself has disappeared or deteriorated, the vessels may still yield information about ancient production and consumption. Lorenzo Lepri, an archaeologist with the Lungarotti Foundation in Umbria, said Roman wine was generally made from very ripe grapes and was often too concentrated or strong to consume undiluted. Romans commonly mixed it with water and sometimes added fruit, spices or honey; pine resin used to seal amphora interiors also influenced the flavor.¹

Authorities intend to recover and examine only a limited selection of amphorae, including any residue trapped inside them. They do not plan to lift the whole wreck. After the investigation, most of the site is expected to remain in place to preserve its archaeological context and potentially accommodate supervised visits by approved diving operators.¹

This strategy follows a broader Mediterranean policy based on the practical impossibility of recovering and storing every submerged site. La Rocca said public awareness and carefully controlled cultural access can improve protection by giving nearby communities an economic interest in preservation instead of illegal salvage.¹

Surveys and analysis are continuing. Archaeologists believe the Mazara del Vallo wreck could become one of Sicily’s clearest examples of an ancient wine cargo preserved in an arrangement close to that of the ship’s final voyage.¹