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Italian Wine News |
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On Friday, July 24, 2009, Italian officials said that much of the cargo found in five shipwrecks between 1,600 and 1,900 years old, submerged below 100 to 150 meters (about 330 to 490 feet) of water off the tiny island of Ventotene, between Rome and Naples, is largely intact.
Photo taken in June 2009 and made available on Friday, July 24, 2009 by the Italian Culture Ministry and the Aurora Trust which shows amphorae, believed to be of North African origin, lying on the seabed off the coast of Ventotene, between Rome and Naples, Italy.As part of a new drive by Italian archaeological officials to scan deeper levels of the Mediterranean to prevent looting of submerged treasures, underwater archaeologists discovered the wrecks of five ancient Roman ships with their cargo of amphorae, jars and vases for carrying wine, olive oil and fish sauce, in addition to pot s, kitchen tools, and other metal and glass objects which have not yet been identified.
Because of improved technology, looters are currently able to dive to greater depths than in the past, and Italian authorities are trying hard to stay ahead of looters. "It's important that we arrive there first," said Annalisa Zarattini, of the Italian Culture Ministry.
Photo taken in June 2009 and made available on Friday, July 24, 2009 by the Italian Culture Ministry and the Aurora Trust which shows amphorae, believed to be of Spanish origin and dating back to the 1st century A.D., on the seabed off the coast of Ventotene, between Rome and Naples, Italy.
"It is like an underwater museum," said Zarattini. The discovery of wrecked ships is not unusual though, as there are hundreds, if not thousands of them littering the Mediterranean bottom, however, Zarattini said that because the ship sank in deeper water which protected them from destructive currents, these latest finds are much better preserved than usual. In addition, she added, since the ships sank without capsizing, the cargo could be examined packaged almost the form that it had been loaded.
The ships were found by the team of archaeologists and deep sea divers during explorations concluded earlier this month by the ministry and the Aurora Trust, a U.S. group that gathers maritime researchers and provides equipment to explore the sea. The archaeologists used sonar technology and miniature robotic submarines in their recovery of the ship, the biggest of which is about 20 meters (about 65 feet) long. The area off the coast of Ventotene where they were found used to be part of a major trade route between Rome and its North African territories.
Photo taken in June 2009 and made available on Friday, July 24, 2009 by the Italian Culture Ministry and the Aurora Trust shows an Italian Carabiniere diver, showing a moratoria (ancient mortar) off the coast of the tiny island of Ventotene, between Rome and Naples, Italy.
The oldest of the ships has a cargo of wine amphorae from southern Italy, some stacked in their original position, Aurora said. Another one was carrying moratoria, large bowls used to grind grains. Another was loaded with African amphorae carrying garum, a fish sauce that was considered a delicacy in ancient Rome.
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