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Five Roman-Era Shipwrecks Found Off Italy

Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News

In order to better understand the shipwrecks, the archaeologists pulled up four mortars and one amphora from two ships.

"They have been transferred to the museum of Ventotene where they will be desalinated, restored and eventually displayed," the AURORA team said.

According to Annalisa Zarattini, the superintendent responsible for the underwater archaeology in the Lazio region, the survey has shown that the wooden part of the wrecks remains untouched upon the sandy sea bottom, "a finding that opens up new opportunities for the preservation of the ships."

"This discovery shows that Ventotene was a major crossroad on ancient trade routes. It also reveals that the island is a real underwater museum," Zarattini said in a statement.

The discovery is part of a new drive by archaeological officials to survey deeper levels of the sea and prevent looting of submerged treasures.

Because of their depth, the ships have eluded ordinary treasure hunters. Treasure hunters usually dive down to about 30 meters (about 100 feet) underwater.

But Gambin warned that in the near future, new diving technologies will allow treasure hunters to dive deeper, making sites like this this one more accessible.

"It's a race against time," he said.

Experts from the AURORA Trust will return to Ventotene for further explorations next summer.

Related Links:

Rossella Lorenzi's Blog: Archaeorama

AURORA Trust

HowStuffWorks.com: Geography of Rome