Ancient Roman Shipwreck Laden With Wine Amphorae Found Near Sicily

The ship’s discovery was reportedly described by local authorities as one of the most important archaeological finds to have been made in recent years.

Remnants of an ancient Roman ship that was apparently transporting a cargo of wine have been discovered off the coast of Sicily, near the island's capital, Palermo.

According to The Guardian, the wreck is located at a depth of about 92 metres and is laden with wine amphorae.

"The Mediterranean continually gives us precious elements for the reconstruction of our history linked to maritime trade, the types of boats, the transport carried out," said Valeria Li Vigni, superintendent of the sea of the Sicilian region and the person who launched the expedition that yielded this tremendous find. "Now we will know more about life on board and the relationships between coastal populations."

The Sicilian authorities have reportedly described this as one of the most important archaeological finds to have been made in recent years.

As the newspaper notes, Sicilian archaeologists made a similar discovery several weeks ago when they located another ancient Roman vessel about 70 metres below the sea near the island of Ustica, about 52km off Sicily. The ship was also carrying a consignment of amphorae that contained "wine dating back to the second century BC".