What looks like a pile of stones beneath the Mediterranean has turned out to be something far more remarkable.
A Roman shipwreck that may have been hidden underwater for more than 2,000 years.
Italian divers discovered the vessel off Sicily, about 46 metres below the surface, after fishermen alerted authorities.
Measuring roughly 21 metres long and 6 metres wide, the wreck is believed to date to the 2nd or 1st Century BC.
And its cargo is the real treasure.Hundreds of remarkably well-preserved amphorae were found packed inside the ship.
Ancient ceramic containers used to carry wine, olive oil and grain.
How Did It Remain Hidden For So Long?
Fisherman and free-diver Giacomo De Mola said he investigated an object that appeared on his scanner to be a large rock.
Instead, he found himself staring at what he called “the most incredible discovery” of his life.
“It’s hard to describe what it feels like to be among the first humans, in nearly 20 centuries, to see that place again,” he said.
Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli called the find “one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years”.
Specialist Carabinieri divers are now securing the site as experts study the ship and its cargo.
For now, the Mediterranean has once again reminded us: history can stay buried, but it rarely stays forgotten.
