Overview

• A French Navy seabed drone detected the Camarat 4 wreck near Saint-Tropez in early March, marking the deepest maritime archaeological find in French waters.
• The 30-meter-long vessel is confirmed as a 16th-century Italian merchant ship that sank with ceramics and metal bars at a depth of 2,567 meters.
• High-definition imagery has documented about 200 monogrammed jugs, 100 yellow-glazed plates, two cauldrons, an anchor and six cannons among the intact cargo.
• Extreme depth has shielded the wreck from looting and degradation, preserving its structure and contents “as if time froze.”
• French Culture Ministry archaeologists emphasize the role of advanced sonar and remotely operated vehicles in uncovering and safeguarding deep-sea heritage.