Ancient Roman wreck found in Italy

Listen to this article An ancient wreck from Roman times has been found in the waters of the Ligurian Sea by archaeologists. The discovery was made 20 miles south-west of the island of Tino, at the western end of the Gulf of La Spezia. The find was located using sonar by Guido Gay, an engineer

ByMałgorzata Brykała

Published: July 23, 2014 - 19:36

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 07:42

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An ancient wreck from Roman times has been found in the waters of the Ligurian Sea by archaeologists. The discovery was made 20 miles south-west of the island of Tino, at the western end of the Gulf of La Spezia.

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The find was located using sonar by Guido Gay, an engineer working in the area. The vessel is located at a depth of 500m. The wreck, named Dedalus 21, probably dates from the 2nd century BC.

The remains of the Roman unit are 15m long and there are many valuable artefacts in the form of hundreds of amphorae, dating from the Republican era. This confirms speculation about trade flourishing in the region between France, Spain and Rome.

The object found was considered so valuable that fishing and all diving activities were immediately banned in its vicinity. The measures taken by the Archaeological Heritage of Liguria committee are aimed at protecting the wreck as much as possible.

Dedalus21 is another wreck located by Guido Gay. Earlier in 2012. He found another ancient ship near the island of Tino. The previous find was dated to the 4th – 3rd century B.C. Besides the wreck itself, it also contained many valuable amphorae. However, already after the initial examination, the author of both discoveries admitted that this time, the find seems to be much better preserved.

Source: italymagazine.com