About forty amphorae dating back to an era ranging from the first century BC to the first century AD, aligned in their original stowage position,They were found in the sea area of the Vendicari Nature Reserve, in the province of Syracuse, thanks to a three-dimensional photogrammetric survey carried out by the Superintendency of the Sea in collaboration with the Capo Murro Diving Center of Syracuse. The discovery occurred approximately 3 miles from the coast, at a depth of 70 meters. The amphorae, of the “Richborough 527” type, a type of ceramic container found both in southern England and in the Aeolian Islands, are part of a important wreck of a transport ship, identified in January 2022 thanks to the report of two fishermen from Avola, which had never been investigated in its depth.
«These are rather rare amphorae – said the regional councilor for cultural heritage, Francesco Paolo Scarpinato – whose discovery represents a unique opportunity to deepen the study of both the cargo and the wreck. This discovery will allow us to acquire new information on ancient trade routes and the trafficking of precious goods in the Mediterranean.”
Future studies will verify whether the amphorae are of the same type as those found in the 1990s on Lipari, linked to the trade of alum, a mineral whose extraction is documented in antiquity. If this hypothesis were confirmed, the discovery would enrich knowledge of ancient trade routes in the Mediterranean basin.