Amphorae from the 3rd century BC discovered off the coast of Cannes - video

Archaeological work off the coast of France, near the Léonian Islands, has led to an extremely rare discovery! At a depth of 20 metres, ancient amphorae were found buried in the seabed, and were estimated to be 2,300 years old!

For three weeks, a group of researchers carried out extensive work in the waters surrounding the coast of Cannes. During the underwater excavations, the archaeologists worked in difficult conditions, but the gamble proved to be worth the candle. In total, the team discovered seventeen amphorae, which are in an excellent state of preservation. This is a real surprise for the archaeologists, as discoveries of this kind are extremely rare in the area.

-- Advertisement --

[blockquote style=”2″]”Such discoveries are extremely rare. In the 3rd century BC we were under the rule of the Roman Republic. The Mediterranean was not a peaceful body of water and acts of piracy were frequent. This influenced the fact that trade developed poorly. Only four similar wrecks from this period are known,” said Anne Joncheray, archaeologist and director of the archaeological museum in Saint-Raphaël[/blockquote].

Locating the amphorae was quite a difficult task and posed a real challenge for the archaeologists. All because… there was no wreck. The entire find was covered by a thick layer of sand and sediments, which, according to the researchers, allowed the amphorae to remain in fantastic condition. But where did the wreck go?

Archaeologists have theorised that a ship carrying a cargo of amphorae tilted during stormy weather, losing part of its cargo. One hypothesis is that the vessel may have sunk some distance away and it is possible that it will be found during the next search.

Source: francetvinfo.fr
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”31298″]