Ancient Roman shipwreck discovered off Italian coast

A Roman-era shipwreck that has remained untouched on the seabed for more than 2,000 years has been uncovered by divers off the coast of Sicily, police on the Mediterranean island said.

A Roman-era shipwreck that has remained untouched on the seabed for more than 2,000 years has been uncovered by divers off the coast of Sicily, police on the Mediterranean island said.

Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli described it on social media as “one of the most significant underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years,” with experts dating the vessel back to the first or second century B.C.

“The sea continues to reveal precious evidence of our history,” Giuli said. “This shipwreck tells the story of the people, trade routes, and exchanges that made the Mediterranean a crossroads of civilizations.”

After a tipoff from residents, the ship was discovered by divers around 3 miles off Sicily’s western coast and about 150 feet below the surface, the specialist branch of Italy’s police force devoted to the protection of cultural heritage said in a statement.