Ancient Roman shipwreck discovered off Italian coast

ItalyAncient Roman shipwreck discovered off Italian coast“This shipwreck tells the story of the people, trade routes, and exchanges that made the Mediterranean a crossroads of civilizations,” Italy’s culture minister said. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleRoman shipwreck discovered off the coast of Italy00:49Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleAug. 10, 2026, 8:51 AM EDTBy Isabella Colletta and Matteo MoschellaA Roman-era shipwreck that has remained untouched on the seabed for more than 2,000 years has been uncovered by divers off the coast of Sicily, police on the Mediterranean island said. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli described it on social media as “one of the most significant underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years,” with experts dating the vessel back to the first or second century B.C. “The sea continues to reveal precious evidence of our history,” Giuli said. “This shipwreck tells the story of the people, trade routes, and exchanges that made the Mediterranean a crossroads of civilizations.”After a tipoff from residents, the ship was discovered by divers around 3 miles off Sicily’s western coast and about 150 feet below the surface, the specialist branch of Italy’s police force devoted to the protection of cultural heritage said in a statement. Hundreds of clay jars known as amphorae were discovered inside the shipwreck.Italian Ministry of Culture“It’s hard to explain what it feels like to think that we’re among the first humans, after nearly twenty centuries, to see that place again,” Giacomo de Mola, a member of the team that found the ship, said in a video post on Facebook. Hundreds of clay jars known as amphorae were discovered inside the shipwreck, alongside lead anchor stocks and other artifacts, police said. De Mola, in a separate Facebook post said they could have come from all over the ancient world and the artifacts could be “likely North African amphorae, and a Neo-Punic a...