Important archaeological find in the sea off the Cilento coast. Off the coast of the town of Pisciotta (Salerno), Carabinieri from the Naples Diving Unit in fact discovered a Roman-era wreck dating back to the 2nd-1st century B.C., located about 7 miles from the mainland. The wreck had already been spotted in 2021, during underwater reconnaissance carried out by the company Terna Rete Italia, under the scientific direction of Drs. Simona Di Gregorio and Maria Tommasa Granese for the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio of Salerno and Avellino, as part of the’part of the Tyrrhenian Link project (the new electrical corridor that will connect Sicily with Sardinia and the Italian peninsula), but only in July, following more detailed reconnaissance carried out with the support of the Arma, was it possible to confirm that the remains identified were those of a Roman ship carrying a cargo of several hundred amphorae.
The wreck is 12 meters long and 8 meters wide, lies at a depth of 152 meters and occupies an area of about 100 square meters. The dating to the 2nd-1st century B.C. was possible thanks to the identification of the type of amphorae, most of which are preserved in their entirety. Now the area, at the request of the Salerno Superintendent’s Office, has been banned by the Palinuro Coast Guard through an ordinance that prohibits anchoring, parking, fishing, scuba diving and any other activity that could cause damage to the wreck.
“This is an exceptional find that is in addition to the many others already known along the Cilento coastline, the study of which will bring important information on the trades that took place on the Tyrrhenian routes in the republican era,” says Superintendent Raffaella Bonaudo. “In the coming months, together with the National Superintendency for Underwater Cultural Heritage, we will consider what action to take to protect the important discovery.” With this in mind, the mayor of Pisciotta, Ettore Liguori, following the news of the find immediately forwarded a formal request to the Superintendency of Salerno and Avellino to be able to receive custody of the finds once they have been recovered, and to exhibit them at the Palazzo Marchesale in Pisciotta, which is owned by the municipality.
Cilento, discovered the wreck of a Roman ship from the 2nd-1st century BC. |
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