All articles tagged with #shipwreck
Israel’s Heritage Ministry says the Altalena ship, tied to the 1948 Altalena affair, has been found intact on the Mediterranean seabed about 503 meters deep and 20 kilometers off the coast, 78 years after sinking, reviving a pivotal moment in the country’s early history and memory.
Archaeologists excavating off Croatia’s Mljet Island have recovered a late 7th/early 8th‑century shipwreck hoard—the largest gold treasure ever found from a Mediterranean shipwreck—featuring more than 600 grams of gold coins issued by four Heraclian emperors, plus elaborate jewelry with rubies, emeralds and pearls and a golden signet ring, indicating a high‑status passenger. The wreck, studied since 2015 and formally presented July 23 by the Croatian Conservation Institute, provides new insights into Mediterranean sea routes during the Roman‑to‑medieval transition.
Routine French Navy seabed surveys off Ramatuelle revealed Camarat 4, a 16th‑century merchant vessel buried about 8,200 feet deep—France’s deepest wreck. After a sonar hit, an autonomous underwater vehicle and a remotely operated craft captured images of a 98-by-23‑foot ship carrying hundreds of Ligurian-style earthenware pitchers (IHS monogram), yellow plates, anchors, cannons, and other gear. The team believes the cargo points to Liguria’s origin and plans 3D modeling and artifact sampling to study the wreck while avoiding salvage at such depths.
A Roman shipwreck believed to date from the first or second century BC was found about three miles off Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, revealing hundreds of intact amphorae—likely used for wine, olive oil, or grain—along with two large lead anchor stocks and a lead pipe. Italian authorities called it one of the most significant underwater archaeological discoveries in recent years, describing the site as an underwater museum.
Divers off Sicily uncovered a Roman-era shipwreck dating to the 1st–2nd century BC, containing hundreds of amphorae and other artifacts that could illuminate ancient Mediterranean trade routes. The discovery sits about 3 miles off Sicily’s western coast at roughly 150 feet deep and is being documented and protected as researchers study its historical context, with officials calling it a major underwater archaeological find.
Two divers recovered a 162-year-old bottle of Guinness Extra Stout London from the Mindoro shipwreck off the English Channel (sank 1864). Samples were sent to KU Leuven for study, with researchers noting a potential to recreate the beer if DNA recovery and cork integrity allow. Guinness Archive is coordinating with the divers, and the explorers believe more bottles may remain in the wreck.
Divers off Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, uncovered a Roman-era shipwreck dating to the 2nd or 1st century BC, containing hundreds of clay jars (amphorae) used for goods like wine and olive oil; the find spans roughly 70 feet long by 20 feet wide and over 6 feet tall, and authorities call it one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries in recent years.
Italian divers have uncovered a 2,000-year-old Roman shipwreck off Sicily near Mazara del Vallo at about 46 meters depth, its hull loaded with hundreds of well-preserved amphorae used for wine, olive oil or grain. Dating to the 2nd–1st century BC, the wreck is being safeguarded by Italy's culture ministry and the Carabinieri as experts investigate its cargo and significance.
Divers recovered a sealed Guinness Extra Stout bottle from the 1864 Mindoro shipwreck in the English Channel; the intact seal prompted researchers to consider testing the historic brew for potential revival via yeast DNA sequencing, while teams plan to recover more bottles and examine the ship’s manifest.
Belgian diver Stefan Panis found up to 20 Guinness bottles dating to 1864 in the Mindora shipwreck off Dover; scientists are analyzing the contents for DNA to potentially recreate the original beer, with the Guinness Archive coordinating the effort.
A 162-year-old bottle of Guinness, dating to 1864, was recovered from a shipwreck off Dover by Belgian diver Stefan Panis. The find is being analyzed by researchers at KU Leuven, with hopes of understanding its taste and potentially recreating the 1860s stout, and there may be more bottles buried in the wreck; Diageo’s Guinness Archive is coordinating the investigation.
Heatwaves and drought have driven Europe’s rivers to record lows, revealing submerged relics such as a Bulgarian Danube mammoth jaw and tusks, a 1937 Fulton cargo ship, and a sunken Nazi warship; the drying waters are disrupting shipping, tourism, and energy, with Hungary warning of a potential shutdown of the Paks nuclear plant as rainfall remains scarce and climate pressures intensify.
Divers recovered a roughly 3,000-year-old Bronze Age sword at the Salcombe Cannon and Moor Sand wreck sites off south Devon during Historic England–funded work, joining a history of Bronze Age finds in the area; experts date the blade to about 1300–800 BC, though worn portions require further study.
Archaeologists in the Skagerrak Strait off Norway uncovered an 18th-century shipwreck at about 1,970 feet (roughly 600 meters) deep with exceptionally well-preserved cargo, including Chinese porcelain, chandeliers, goblets, and textiles. Clues such as a Lübecker brick stamp hint at European trade connections as researchers seek to identify the vessel’s origin. The find, the best-preserved cargo of its kind in Northern Europe, is expected to be exhibited at the Norwegian Maritime Museum, though some areas were damaged by modern trawling.
Off Norway’s southeastern coast, researchers uncovered an 18th-century shipwreck in the Skagerrak Strait whose cargo is exceptionally well preserved, including undamaged Chinese porcelain, chandeliers, goblets and grain barrels; while the ship’s origin and destination remain unknown, clues suggest luxury goods circulated across Europe, and crates yet to be examined may contain textiles, tea, herbs or medicines, with the wreck slated to be exhibited at the Norwegian Maritime Museum.