SHIPWRECK DISCOVERED NEAR ROME THAT DATES BACK MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS

Sun 30 July 2023:

Around 50 miles to the northwest of Rome’s main city, at Civitavecchia, an antique cargo ship wreck was found on the ocean seabed, said the country’s Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.

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 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,” said the police unit in a statement.

The authorities are now working to ensure that the site is protected as hundreds of amphorae are illegally taken each year and discovered in the homes of art dealers by Italian police.

Hundreds of illegally obtained archaeological articles were seized by the Italian authorities in June 2021 from a Belgian collector which included commemorative slabs known as stelae, amphorae, and other items worth nearly $10 million, reported the Guardian.

Meanwhile, the coastline of Italy is teeming with underwater treasures which are regularly patrolled by police scuba divers to protect them from looters.

Every year, hundreds of ancient Roman amphorae, taken illegally, are found by the Italian police in the homes of art dealers.

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.

A nearly intact ship from the 2nd century BC was discovered by authorities off the coast of Genoa in 2013 after they were tipped off about the ship’s wreckage following a year-long investigation into the stolen artifacts.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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