It has been lying submerged in the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea for 2,500 years. An ancient shipwreck located just off the coast of Sicily waiting to be discovered.
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In 2022, the submerged wreckage got its wish, when Antonino Giunta, a volunteer with the Soprintendenza del Mare and member of the group BCsicilia, was diving off the coast of Santa Maria del Focallo in the southern Sicilian comune of Ipsica, located in the region of Ragusa, and came across some unusual stones and wood pilings that intrigued him.
His diving expedition was part of the "Kaukana Project," which began in 2017. A collaboration between the Soprintendenza del Mare and researchers from the University of Udine who had high hopes to chart the Sicilian coastline and uncover hidden discoveries underneath its waters.
After making his way back to the Sicilian shoreline, he contacted Soprintendenza del Mare and revealed what he had found. In 2024, the team of researchers from the Kaukana Project, and the Underwater Archaeology Unit of the University of Udine made it their mission to begin excavation of the site.
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Only recently was the ancient shipwreck fully excavated, and what they discovered was astonishing, as the discovery revealed a treasure trove of maritime artifacts and a major trade connection between the Greeks and the Carthaginians.
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Underwater archaeologists set off to investigate Giunta's findings of unusual stones and wood pilings, and what they discovered was nothing short of amazing. The ancient shipwreck, which was hidden 20 feet below the sea's surface, buried in sediment and rocks, is estimated to be 2,500 years old, and more than likely sank between the 5th and 6th centuries, B.C.
For three weeks, underwater archaeologists painstakingly excavated the ruins of the wooden ship and uncovered a hoard of maritime artifact treasures. The team also collected samples of the wreckage to see if it had made an impact on the environment while it lay beneath the sea's surface for 25 centuries.
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"Thanks to underwater photogrammetry, it was possible to generate a three-dimensional model of the wreck, while the samples collected will allow further paleobotanical analyses to further study the materials used," researchers wrote in a statement from the Soprintendenza del Mare on Facebook.
Those excavating the site uncovered ancient containers, known as amphorae, and used by the Ancient Greeks. In addition, basins, wide-mouthed jars, braziers, baking trays, pottery vessels, large vase containers known as pithoi, and common household utensils were discovered.
What struck the underwater archaeologists the most while excavating the site, was the discovery of six Byzantine anchors lying beside the ship's wreckage. Four were determined to have been made of prehistoric stone, the other two were made of iron dating back to the 7th century B.C.
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Under the logistical support and guidance of the Coast Guard of Messina and the Port Authority of Pozzallo, underwater archaeologists investigated the ruins of the shipwreck, indicating that the ship itself may still be intact, buried beneath 2,500 years worth of sand and rocks, further revealing that the ship's cargo is said to be mainly intact.
"The wreck is an extraordinary testimony of a crucial historical period, between archaic and classical Greece, highlighting the trade and commerce that marked the Mediterranean long before the rise of Rome," said Massimo Capulli, coordinator of the Kaukana Project, according to ANSA.
The excavation of the ancient ship and the period in which it once maneuvered through the Mediterranean Sea is a tell-tale sign of its historical significance in the trade movement between Sicilians, the Greeks, and the Carthaginians.
"This discovery," comments the Councilor for Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity, Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, "represents an extraordinary contribution to the knowledge of the maritime history of Sicily and the Mediterranean and once again highlights the central role of the island in the traffic and cultural exchanges of antiquity. The wreck, datable to a crucial period for the transition between Archaic and Classical Greece, is a valuable piece of Sicily's underwater cultural heritage."
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The recent excavation of the ancient vessel submerged within the Mediterranean Sea is the 5th excavation campaign under the project's initiative, led by researchers and archaeologists.
According to Finestre sull'Arte, "The Kaukana Project is the reconstruction of the coastal and submerged landscape, seeking to restore a comprehensive view of the interactions between humans and the marine environment over the centuries. The discovery of the Santa Maria del Focallo wreck enriches knowledge on the subject."