Overview

• A French Navy underwater drone detected a 30-meter-long wreck off Ramatuelle at 2,567 meters in early March 2025.
• DRASSM archaeologists identify the vessel as a 16th-century Italian merchant ship carrying Ligurian ceramics marked ‘IHS’ and iron bars.
• Investigations have uncovered 200 jugs with pinched spouts, neatly stacked yellow plates, two cauldrons, an anchor and six cannons.
• The exceptional depth has preserved the site intact, preventing looting despite occasional modern debris such as soda cans and yogurt pots.
• Researchers plan to create a detailed 3D model and retrieve samples using remotely operated vehicles over the next two years.