Ancient Roman shipwreck discovered off Sicily coast
A well-preserved ancient Roman shipwreck with containers has been discovered off the coast of Sicily.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A well-preserved ancient Roman shipwreck has been discovered off the coast of Sicily, in what Italy's culture minister has called one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years.
The vessel, believed to be about 2,100 years old, was found around five kilometres from the Sicilian shore, concealed at a depth of roughly 46 metres. It is piled high with hundreds of well-preserved ceramic containers known as amphorae, which the Romans used to store and transport goods such as wine, olive oil and grains.
The wreck was first stumbled upon by an Italian fisherman, Giacomo de Mola, who later shared on social media how his heart stopped when he found the seabed treasure, saying it had been sleeping there intact for thousands of years. Specialist divers from the cultural heritage protection arm of Italy's police then went in to analyse and document the site.
The ship itself is about 21 metres long and 6 metres wide. Alongside the amphorae, other artefacts were also found at the site. The Italian culture ministry says the wreck dates from the second or first century BC.
Measures have now been taken to protect and safeguard the site, while further investigation is under way to determine the exact nature of the wreck and learn more about its cargo. The Mediterranean seabed is thought to hold many ancient wrecks, but this find is especially significant because of its age and excellent state of preservation.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy's culture minister said the wreck dates to the second or first century BC and described it as one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries in recent years. | |||
| An Italian fisherman discovered a shipwreck off the coast of Sicily. | · | ||
| The shipwreck contained hundreds of well-preserved containers used for transporting goods such as wine and olive oil. | · | ||
| The wreck was found at a depth of about 46 metres. | · | ||
| The vessel is about 21 metres long and 6 metres wide. | · | · | |
| The wreck is located about five kilometres from the Sicilian shore. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV gave the story a brief, upbeat mention at the end of the bulletin, focusing on the discovery itself and the culture minister's praise. It highlighted the fisherman's role and the cargo of wine and olive oil, but omitted technical details like depth, dimensions and the police divers' work.
- “an Italian fisherman discovered an ancient Roman shipwreck piled high with hundreds of well-preserved containers which were used to transport goods such as wine and olive oil”
- “Italy's culture minister says the find dates from the second or first century BC and has hailed it as one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years”
BBC News provided the most detailed report, including the ship's dimensions, depth, the name of the fisherman who first found it, and the work of specialist police divers. It stressed the age and excellent preservation of the wreck, and noted that other artefacts were also found.
- “Italian divers have discovered the wreck of a Roman ship off the coast of Sicily, piled high with hundreds of well-preserved ceramic jars believed to have been used to transport wine.”
- “Giacomo de Mola shared on social media how his heart stopped when he stumbled upon this seabed treasure, which he said had been sleeping there intact for thousands of years.”
- “Italy's culture minister has hailed the finding as one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years.”
BBC ONE West gave a concise but vivid account, adding the distance from shore and including a direct quote from the fisherman describing the discovery as a treasure. It focused on the amphorae and the minister's praise, and noted that more wrecks are likely to be found in the Mediterranean.
- “Italian divers have discovered an ancient Roman shipwreck, believed to be more than 2,000 years old off the coast of Sicily.”
- “Giacomo de Mola shared on social media how his heart stopped when he stumbled upon the seabed treasure, which he said had been sleeping there intact for at least 2,000 years.”
- “This is undoubtedly the most incredible discovery, a treasure on the seabed.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.