Police stumble upon ancient shipwreck amid routine patrol, keep location secret to deter looters

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A routine patrol in the Ionian Sea led Italian authorities to a remarkable discovery: a lateRoman merchant shipwreckstill carrying its cargo of amphorae.

com/category/travel/vacation-destinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coast of Apulia, the “heel” of Italy.

The Guardia di Finanza, Italy’s financial police force, said the ship was discovered in June 2025, though officials kept the find confidential until now.

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“The unexpected discovery occurred during routine maritime patrol operations conducted by the Guardia di Finanza using the most advanced onboard equipment, which detected an anomaly on the seabed,” the February statement read.

The merchant vessel dates to thelate Imperial era, roughly 284 A.D.through 641 A.D., a period that includes the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 A.D.

Italian officials in boat next to diver underwater

Italian authorities discovered a late Roman merchant shipwreck in the Ionian Sea during a routine patrol, officials said — and discovered “an anomaly.”(Guardia di Finanza)

The ship’s amphorae were designed to transport garum, a fermented fish sauce widely used as a condiment in ancient Rome, according to local outlet Giornale d’Italia.

Authorities said advanced onboard equipment detected an anomaly on the seabed during routine maritime patrol operations.(Guardia di Finanza)

“Since the moment of discovery, the area has been under constant monitoring by the Naval Operations Section of the Guardia di Finanza in Gallipoli,” the statement noted.

Authorities hope to recover more cargo from the ship.

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Italian officials are currently surveying and documenting the wreck, using what the Guardia di Finanza described as “themost advanced investigativemethodologies.”

Officials said the exact location of the wreck will remain confidential to prevent looting.(Guardia di Finanza)

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The discovery is the latest in a string of ancient shipwreck finds shedding new light on Mediterranean history.

Italian authorities are surveying and documenting the wreck using what they called “the most advanced investigative methodologies.”(Guardia di Finanza)

Turkish divers located a2,000-year-old shipwrecklast year, yielding hundreds of well-preserved ceramics.

coast of Sicily.