Divers off the coast of Italy have discovered a 2,100-year-old shipwreck containing more than 500 narrow-necked jars called amphorae. The 70-foot wreck was located 151ft underwater three miles off Mazara del Vallo in Sicily, Italy, by divers Giacomo De Mola and Igor Bisulli following a tip-off from some fishermen. The discovery has been hailed by Italy’s culture minister, Alessandro Giuli, as “one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years” that offers “precious fragments of our history.” “Visibility wasn’t the best… I got closer. And my heart stopped. Below me was a vast expanse of amphorae,” De Mola said in a post on social media. “This is, without a doubt, the most incredible discovery of my life,” he added. “It’s hard to describe what it feels like to be among the first humans, in nearly 20 centuries, to see that place again.” Amphorae were used to store and transport various goods, especially wine, and archaeologists believe their discovery will inform them about transit routes and global commerce at the time. Experts will conduct further research on the site, including getting a more specific date, where the ship came from, and where it was headed.
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