2,000 year old Roman cargo ship found off Italian coast

The shipwreck was found at a depth of 200 feet. A fisherman caught a few of the jars of cargo in a fishing net and alerted Italian police. A robotic camera inspected the ship and cargo. The site has been cordoned off from further fishing and shipping activity until Italian researchers can determine the best method of recovery and preservation. API ongkir

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2,000 year old Roman cargo ship found off Italian coast

At present Italian scientists believe this is the oldest and most complete vessel discovered to date from the Roman era. Preliminary dating from the cargo and general shape of the ship indicate the vessel is from the first century A.D.

The Roman Empire (red) and its clients (pink) in 117 AD during the reign of emperor Trajan

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Tataryn77 own work This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

The state of preservation of the ship and cargo is attributed to the vessel being buried in sand and mud that prevented physical damage and oxidation.

The amphorae (clay jars used to transport perishables in Roman times) recovered so far contain oil, grain, and wine. Wax seals protected the contents of the amphorae from spillage.

Researchers made a preliminary assessment that the ship originated in Spain due to the contents of some of the amphorae. Spain was a Roman province in the first century.. The assumption is based on the location of the find in off the eastern coast of Genoa.

Researchers expect to achieve new understanding of Roman life and trade as well as ship construction methods from the new find.

No determination of the cause of the sinking has been reported as yet.