Dozens of amphorae from ancient shipwreck discovered near Sicily –

Dozens of amphorae, more commonly found in British waters, have been found at an ancient shipwreck off the coast of Sicily. The wreck, which is between 2,100 and 1,900 years old, contains a large number of Richborough Type 527 amphora, named after its model location in Richborough, Kent, southern England.

In January 2022, anglers from Avola discovered the first evidence of the wreck of an ancient cargo ship, about three miles off the coast of Syracuse’s Vendeka Nature Preserve. They reported the situation to the Sicilian Marine Surveillance Service. Earlier this year, regulators hired divers from Cabo Muro Diving Center in Syracuse to explore and document the wreck site. Based on the scans and photos taken by the divers, experts were able to create a 3D photogrammetric composite of the entire site.

The team found about 40 visible amphorae at a depth of 230 feet. Some are still grouped in their original arrangement as they were stored in the hold. The remains of the ship itself are invisible, so if they had survived thousands of years they would have been buried beneath the sand along with the rest of the cargo.

The Richborough Type 527 amphora is characterized by a thicker rim and horizontal ribbing on the body. The largest deposits of these, numbering thousands of pieces, were discovered during excavations on the Aeolian island of Lipari, from pottery workshops that produced these vessels from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. Study of the contents of 527 amphorae at Richborough suggests they may have been used to transport alum from the rich volcanic deposits of Sicily to other parts of the Roman world.

Alum was a key ingredient in a variety of industrial applications in ancient Rome, including as a mordant for dyeing cloth and making refined white leather that could be easily dyed for decorative purposes. Recommended by 1st century Greek physician and Roman military physician Pedanius Dioscorides in his pharmacopoeia medical issues (Book 5, Chapter 123) Alum can treat everything from ulcers, loose teeth, and eyelid growths to ear discharge and leprosy. He also noted that Lipari is one of the best sources of medical alum.

Although they were made in Sicily, amphorae are not often found in shipwrecks in the area, which would make sense if the ship loaded its cargo there and then sailed to its destination. Richborough 527 amphorae or fragments thereof have been found in many parts of the Roman world, including Spain, France, Portugal, Malta, Germany, and most commonly in southern England.

“These are quite rare amphorae,” said Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, regional commissioner for cultural heritage. “Its discovery provides an opportunity for a more in-depth study of the cargo and the wreck.” Unique opportunity. This discovery will allow us to obtain new information about ancient trade routes and the trade of precious commodities in the Mediterranean.” Future research will verify whether these amphorae are similar to those discovered in Lipari in the 1990s. The same type of ampoules are associated with the trade in alum, a mineral that has been mined in ancient times. If this hypothesis is confirmed, the discovery will enrich our understanding of ancient trade routes in the Marenostroom Basin.