Ancient Wine Run: Fishermen Discover 2,100-Year-Old Roman Shipwreck (3 photos + 1 video)
Italian Carabinieri from the Cultural Heritage Protection unit, working alongside Sicilian marine archaeologists, have recovered a unique artifact from the Mediterranean seabed. 
Just three miles off the coast of Mazara del Vallo, at a depth of 46 meters, they discovered the remains of an ancient Roman merchant ship tentatively dated to the 2nd–1st centuries BCE. Back then, Julius Caesar was not yet born, and the Roman Empire was still a republic. 
The ship was carrying a massive cargo that remains lined up on the seafloor, preserving the exact outline of its long-decayed wooden hold. The expedition's primary finds are hundreds of clay amphorae, most belonging to the rare Dressel 1A classification. Romans used these vessels to export wine, olive oil, and garum, their famous salted fish sauce.
Archaeologists also uncovered anchor stocks—two massive lead components from ancient anchors—along with another heavy lead object that researchers tentatively believe was part of ancient Roman navigational equipment.
The Carabinieri didn't need sonar to scan the seabed; local residents (likely fishermen or amateur divers) tipped off scientists with the secret coordinates after stumbling upon the necks of amphorae sticking out of the sand. A Coast Guard vessel from Trapani and divers from Messina were immediately dispatched to the site. Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has already hailed the wreck as "one of the most significant underwater discoveries in recent years."
Police and archaeologists are now guarding the site around the clock to deter tomb raiders, while simultaneously creating a precise 3D map of the shipwreck. Researchers hope to decipher the stamps on the amphorae to determine the merchant vessel's origin and destination for its tons of fine Roman wine.
