According to the nation’s Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, an antique cargo ship wreckage was found on a seafloor off the port in Civitavecchia, about 50 miles northwest of Rome.
According to the officials, the vessel, which dates to the first or second century BC, held hundreds of antique Roman jars known as amphorae, many of which were recovered still intact in the debris that was found by a remotely operated robot.
The police unit released a statement that read, “The exceptional discovery is an important example of the shipwreck of a Roman ship facing the perils of the sea in an attempt to reach the coast, and bears witness to old maritime trading routes.”
As hundreds of amphorae are unlawfully removed from the site each year and found in the homes of art dealers by Italian police, the authorities are now striving to ensure that the site is secured.
The Italian government seized hundreds of illegally acquired archaeological artifacts from a Belgian collector in June 2021, including amphorae, stelae, and other objects valued at almost $10 million, according to the Guardian.
Treasures under the sea along Italy’s coastline
Underwater gems abound along Italy’s coastline, where police scuba divers frequently patrol to keep them safe from thieves.
Sicilian archaeologists found two antique Roman ships in 2021; one was found close to Ustica Island and the other was found off the coast of Palermo. Each vessel was carrying a sizable number of wine jugs.
After a year-long investigation into the artifacts that were taken, the police were tipped off about the wreckage of a very intact ship dating to the second century BC off the coast of Genoa in 2013.