Five types of terracotta amphoras dating to around the 2nd century BC have been discovered by underwater archaeologists studying a deep-lying Roman-era shipwreck first found five years ago off eastern Sicily.
Found in 2011 around 75m deep off Aci Trezza, the 15m-long wreck is being excavated by diver-archaeologists from Sicily’s Superintendency for the Sea – who are using photographs to make a 3D reconstruction of the wreck-site, including the cargo.
The amphora are believed to have held honey, olive oil, wine and fish sauce and to indicate the presence nearby of a previously unknown trading hub.
Three areas of the site in which amphoras were absent were at first thought to indicate salvage, but are now thought to show where perishable cargo was held.
The archaeologists now plan to investigate further with the help of an ROV.
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24-Aug-16
