Divers find 'almost intact' 2,000-year-old ship off coast of Italy

A ship which is believed to be more than 2,000 years old has been discovered off the coast of Italy by police scuba divers.

Local fishermen in the town of Varazze in the province of Liguria had reported finding shard of pottery in their nets for a number of years which prompted a wreck diving search by police divers.

The ship is thought to be a Roman-era commercial vessel and the divers reported that it is in a very well-preserved condition, despite its age and location.

"The peculiarity of this is that the wreck could be almost intact," explained Lt Col Francesco Schilardi from the police divers' group.

"We believe it dates to sometime between the 1st Century BC and the 1st Century AD."

Mr Schilardi added that the mud on the seabed had hidden the wreck for years but it also helped preserve it.

The divers explained that it will be possible to raise the vessel from the waters so experts can study the ship further and understand its commercial activity during the Roman times but this will be decided by the Italian authorities.

Experts believe that the ship would have travelled on trade routes between Spain and central Italy, carrying more than 200 clay amphorae which would have contained grain, wine, fish and oil.

Earlier this year two other Roman-era ships were discovered deep in the sea between Greece and Italy.

Due to their position in the Mediterranean Sea, Greece and Italy's ocean waters are home to thousands of shipwrecks from different centuries and the coastline of the countries have become one of the most popular scuba diving destinations for exploring wrecks.
Sweden's ocean waters are also home to an array of historic wrecks, from medieval ships, to World War I and II warships and submarines.

More divers are heading off on scuba diving adventures in the hope of locating an ancient sunken vessel and wreck diving is becoming an increasingly popular activity to enjoy during scuba diving holidays. Many divers, both professional and recreational, head to ocean beds all over the world to try and locate lost wrecks and their treasures.