Roman Shipwreck off Mazara del Vallo Reveals Massive Amphora Cargo

In early August 2026, divers Giacomo De Mola and Igor Bisulli located a Roman-era merchant vessel three miles (? 4.8 km) off Mazara del Vallo, Sicily. The wreck rests at 46 m (? 150 ft) and dates to the 2nd–1st centuries BC, roughly 2,100 years old. Surveys show a hull about 21 m long and 6 m wide, laden with an estimated 500 Dressel 1A amphorae used for wine transport.

Roman wreck carrying hundreds of amphorae found off Sicily

Sicily’s position at the junction of the Tyrrhenian, Ionian and western Mediterranean made its waters a principal artery for Roman trade. Dressel 1A amphorae, produced along the Italian coast, were the standard containers for wine during the late Republic, and their concentration on this wreck offers a rare snapshot of that commercial network.

2,100-Year-Old Roman Shipwreck Loaded With Hundreds of Amphorae Found off Sicily

• Depth: 46 m (? 150 ft) – Ministry of Culture and Carabinieri cultural-heritage unit.

Roman Shipwreck Discovered off the Coast of Sicily

• Dimensions: ? 21 m long, ? 6 m wide – Italian media.

RTE (Radio Television of Ireland)

• Cargo: ~ 500 amphorae, chiefly Dressel 1A; also a few Lamboglia 2 and a Neo-Punic jar.

Italian divers found a 2,100-year-old Roman shipwreck beneath 151 feet of water; its cargo still held about 500 wine jars

• Additional artifacts: two lead anchor stocks and another lead structure.

NBC News

• Site size: amphora mound spans over 20 m in length, 6 m in width, and rises nearly 2 m high.

RTE (Radio Television of Ireland)

The Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage called the site “significant” and announced plans for detailed documentation, non-invasive analysis, and protective measures. The Sicilian Superintendency of the Sea will lead the next phase of study, aiming to pinpoint the ship’s origin, destination, and cargo nature.

2,100-Year-Old Roman Shipwreck Loaded With Hundreds of Amphorae Found off Sicily

De Mola said his sonar initially flagged a “simple rock.” After descending in poor visibility he saw “a large dark mass” that turned out to be “an immense expanse of amphorae.” Marine life—including eels, snappers and groupers—now inhabits the amphora piles, creating a “veritable underwater museum.”

United Press International (UPI)

The concentration of Dressel 1A jars can help scholars reconstruct Roman wine-trade routes and assess the economic reach of the late Republic. The sediment-covered hull may preserve wooden structural elements, offering direct insight into Roman shipbuilding techniques.

Italian divers found a 2,100-year-old Roman shipwreck beneath 151 feet of water; its cargo still held about 500 wine jars

Most outlets cite a depth of 46 m, but one Guardian article mentions 92 m near Isola delle Femmine, suggesting a reporting error or a different find. Cargo estimates also vary from “hundreds” to “about 500” amphorae. The precise provenance of the jars—whether Italian estates, North-African ports, or elsewhere—remains to be determined through compositional analyses.

Roman shipwreck with 500 amphorae discovered off Sicily

• “Visibility wasn’t the best … I got closer. And my heart stopped. Below me was a vast expanse of amphorae,” — De Mola

The Guardian

• “The sea continues to bring back precious fragments of our history, and the Mazara del Vallo shipwreck tells us about the people, the routes, and the exchanges that made the Mediterranean a crossroads of civilisations,” — Alessandro Giuli, Italy’s culture minister

Roman shipwreck with 500 amphorae discovered off Sicily