Roman merchant ship discovered off Sicily

Marausa – 09.08.2026: Another Roman cargo ship has been discovered off the coast of Marausa in the province of Trapani. The Soprintendenza del Mare, Sicily’s specialist authority for underwater archaeology, located the remains around 60 metres from the beach. A section of the hull approximately ten metres long can be seen lying in the sand, surrounded by numerous amphora fragments.

Francesco Brascia, an employee of the Italian Ministry of Defence at the Trapani-Birgi Air Force base, alerted authorities to the wreck. The subsequent investigation was carried out by the Soprintendenza together with the Port Authority of Trapani. Stefano Vinciguerra, head of its diving team, coordinated the operation. Chance observations such as this often form the starting point for lengthy archaeological investigations.

Initially, the experts recovered three finds that are now to be examined in greater detail. The rim of one amphora bears an inscription, while another fragment displays the letters A and F below its neck. A third piece has a shape scratched into it that resembles a tower. Such markings can provide clues about workshops, traders, owners or the intended use of the vessels.

According to an initial assessment by marine archaeologist Valeria Li Vigni, the recovered amphora rims originated in North Africa and date to the late Roman Imperial period. In antiquity, amphorae were used as durable transport containers. They carried wine, oil, fish sauces and other foodstuffs across the Mediterranean, among other goods. The ship was therefore part of an extensive trading network linking the coastal regions of the Roman Empire.

Marausa is of particular importance to underwater archaeology. A large late Roman merchant ship had previously been discovered only around 500 metres from the new site. It was recovered and restored and is now on display at the Museo Archeologico Regionale Lilibeo Baglio Anselmi in Marsala. The new wreck could provide further insights into the economic role of Sicily’s western coast.

The location of both sites supports the assumption that Marausa served as a port of call or transshipment point in Roman times. Archaeologists refer to such a trading place as an emporium: goods were landed, stored and redistributed there. The origin and characteristics of the amphorae may reveal which products reached western Sicily from North Africa and which routes the traders used.

So far, only part of the wreck has been documented. Further dives are intended to clarify its extent, its possible cargo and the state of preservation of the ship’s structure. Numerous fragments and three recovered objects have currently been precisely documented; an exact number of amphorae is not available.