STORY: Italy's Carabinieri cultural protection unit has discovered the wreck of a Roman ship, probably dating from the second to the first centuries BC, in waters off Sicily, they said in a statement on Saturday (August 8).

Inside the vessel, Carabinieri found hundreds of amphorae and parts of anchors, they added.

The Roman ship was located, thanks to reports from local residents, about three miles off the coast of Mazara del Vallo in western Sicily, at a depth of 46 metres (151 ft).

The sea archaeological office would study and place under protection the seabed where the ship was discovered, the statement said.

Sicily, which was colonised by the ancient Greeks from around the 8th century BC and conquered by the Romans in about 240 BC, was an island of major importance for trade in the ancient world.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: AT SEA, ITALY (RELEASED ON AUGUST 8, 2026) (CARABINIERI - Access all)

1. SPECIALIST CARABINIERI DIVER GOING UNDERWATER

2. SPECIALIST CARABINIERI DIVER CARRYING OUT UNDERWATER INSPECTION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

3. VARIOUS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE COVERED WITH AMPHORAE