Overview
- Local divers Giacomo De Mola and Igor Bisulli accidentally located an anomaly about 5 km off Mazara del Vallo and alerted authorities, leading to the identification of the wreck at roughly 46 metres depth.
- A joint inspection by the Carabinieri cultural‑protection units and the Superintendencia Regional del Mar de Sicilia documented a cargo mound about 21 metres long filled mainly with Dressel 1A amphorae, plus Lamboglia 2 and a neopunic amphora and several lead anchors.
- Officials date the ship to the 2nd–1st centuries BCE and say the stacked amphorae point to a largely intact wine cargo that can shed light on Roman commercial routes and stowage practices.
- The Carabinieri have secured the site and the Superintendencia is conducting non‑intrusive documentation, including 3D mapping, with no immediate plan to raise the full wreck and selective recoveries limited to scientific study.
- The Culture Ministry called the find one of the most important recent underwater discoveries and announced a state distinction for the two discoverers, while researchers say the site could reshape understanding of central Mediterranean trade links with North Africa.