A sunken Roman trading ship was discovered in the Ionian Sea near the Gulf of Taranto, and only now have Italian authorities revealed details of the discovery made in June 2025. The pause was intentional: according to the Ministry of Culture, the information was withheld to protect the site from looters and to preserve the goods in their original condition.
Value is keep content. At the bottom there are amphorae, many of which have been preserved. This is a rare success for underwater archeology: such a kit allows you to study not only the bowls themselves, but also possible remains of the products inside. According to preliminary data, these ships were intended to transport garum, a type of fermented fish sauce that was especially valuable in ancient times.
The wreckage is located a few kilometers from the city of Gallipoli. The ship was discovered after an aviation unit of the Financial Protection Force noticed an anomaly on the seabed using remote control data, and then underwater archaeologists were involved in the work. While the closed study was underway and the final project was being drawn up, the site was also under additional surveillance to rule out attempts to illegally collect the findings.
Now that the project has been launched and funds have been allocated for further work, authorities have announced plans to remove part of the cargo and study it in the laboratory. If the amphorae indeed preserved their contents, this would provide a rare opportunity to clarify the composition and production technology of garum, as well as to trace trade and supply routes in the Mediterranean during the late Roman period.
