Hundreds of Dressel 1A Amphorae Found at 2,100-Year-Old Roman Shipwreck off Sicily | Ancientist

Skip to content

Hundreds of Dressel 1A Amphorae Found at 2,100-Year-Old Roman Shipwreck off Sicily

At a depth of 46 metres off southwestern Sicily, investigators have documented a Roman shipwreck surrounded by hundreds of amphorae, two lead anchor stocks and another structure made of lead.

The site lies about three miles from Mazara del Vallo and has been provisionally dated to between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, Italy’s Ministry of Culture announced.

Most of the amphorae visible on the seabed belong to the Dressel 1A type, a form widely used during the late Roman Republican period.

The wreck came to the attention of authorities after a report from private citizens. A joint inspection was subsequently carried out by the Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Unit (TPC) in Palermo, the Sicilian Regional Superintendency for the Sea and the Carabinieri Underwater Unit in Messina, with support from a Carabinieri patrol boat from Trapani.

What the Dressel 1A amphorae can reveal

Dressel 1A amphorae and other remains of the Roman cargo are scattered across the seabed at the wreck site off Mazara del Vallo. Source: Carabinieri per la Tutela del Patrimonio Culturale.

The identification of the amphorae is one of the clearest indications of the wreck’s age.

Dressel 1 containers became a characteristic feature of Mediterranean commerce during the final centuries of the Roman Republic. The 1A variant is particularly associated with the 2nd century BC and remained in circulation into the early 1st century BC.

These amphorae were primarily used to transport wine from Italy, making them a frequent archaeological marker of the expanding movement of Italian products during this period.

That does not yet establish what the amphorae aboard the Mazara del Vallo vessel contained. No residue analysis or inscriptions confirming their contents have been announced, and investigators have not identified where the cargo originated.

The distinction is important because the wreck has only undergone an initial inspection. Detailed examination of the containers could provide more precise information about their production and contents.

Two lead anchor stocks and an unidentified lead object

The amphorae are not the only material recorded at the site.

Investigators also documented two lead anchor stocks and another structure made of lead, whose function has not yet been specified.

Several fundamental questions remain open. Authorities have not yet announced how much of the ship’s wooden structure survives, the vessel’s dimensions, its point of departure or its intended destination.

There is also no determination yet of why the ship sank.

Hundreds of Dressel 1A amphorae lie on the seabed at the Roman shipwreck site, about 46 metres deep off Mazara del Vallo in Sicily. Source: Carabinieri per la Tutela del Patrimonio Culturale.

The wreck will now be documented in detail

The Sicilian Regional Superintendency for the Sea will lead the next stage of investigation.

According to the Ministry of Culture, the work will focus on documenting the site, reconstructing its archaeological context and establishing measures needed to protect it.

Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli described the wreck as one of the most significant underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years and said continued research could shed light on the people, routes and trade that connected communities across the Mediterranean.

For archaeologists, the immediate evidence is more specific: hundreds of Dressel 1A amphorae, two lead anchor stocks and an unidentified lead object resting 46 metres below the sea off Mazara del Vallo.

Further investigation will determine how much more of the Roman vessel and its cargo survives beneath the seabed.

Next Post

Posted

August 8, 2026

in

European Archaeology, New Discoveries, News

by

ancientist

Tags:

Ancient Shipwreck, Dressel 1A amphorae, Maritime archaeology, Mazara del Vallo, Mediterranean trade, Roman amphorae, Roman Republic, Roman shipwreck, Sicily, underwater archaeology

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy