A group of Italian police officers were left stunned after stumbling upon a remarkable Roman discovery while on a routine patrol.
The officers from Italy's armed financial police force, the Guardia di Finanza, were carrying out their duties on a boat off the coast of Puglia when they uncovered an ancient Roman merchant shipwreck still holding on to its cargo.
The initial discovery was made in June 2025 - however, the findings had been kept secret up until now.
A statement released by force revealed: “The unexpected discovery occurred during routine maritime patrol operations conducted by the Guardia di Finanza using the most advanced onboard equipment, which detected an anomaly on the seabed."
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"Since the moment of discovery, the area has been under constant monitoring by the Naval Operations Section of the Guardia di Finanza in Gallipoli."
The vessel had been carrying amphorae - a type of ancient two-handed clay jar - which had been used to transport the Roman condiment of garum, a sauce made from fermented fish.
Officials confirmed that the precise location of the ship will not be published to “prevent looting and preserve the valuable information contained within the archaeological deposit".
The Guardia di Finanza said the wreck is currently being documented using “the most advanced investigative methodologies".
The officers were carrying out their duties on a boat off the coast of Apulia at the time
|GUARDIA DI FINANZA
The vessel dates roughly to the late Imperial era - roughly 284 to 641 AD.
Italian officials are now hoping that further inspection of the sunken ship will uncover even more hidden treasures.
Roman merchant ships were often designed to carry items in bulk, most commonly between 100 to 150 tonnes.
However, some of the larger ships on record have been known to have the capacity to hold more than 1,000 tonnes.
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The vessel had been carrying amphorae - a type of ancient two-handed clay jar
|GUARDIA DI FINANZA
The use of the ships was widespread during Roman times, with the scale of shipping not matched again in the Mediterranean until the 16th century - more than 1,200 years after the fall of Rome.
Th Romans established an enormous trade network, spanning from China to Britain.
The civilisation's largest trading partner was India, with whom they exchanged spices, gems and textiles for Roman gold, silver and glass.
The coast of Puglia served as the Roman Empire's gateway to the east, being home to key port cities such as Brindisium and Tarentum - modern-day Brindisi and Taranto.
Italian officials are hopeful that further inspection of the sunken ship will uncover even more hidden treasures
|GUARDIA DI FINANZA
More than 1,200 Roman shipwrecks have been discovered in the Mediterranean and former provinces conquered by the ancient civilisation.
However, experts believe there may be thousands more at the bottom of the ocean waiting to be discovered.
While Romans were an incredibly effective fighting force on land, their early battles on the sea were plagued by shipwrecks due to poor weather conditions and a lack of nautical experience.
In just a single storm in 255BC, the Roman naval fleet lost 380 ships after an admiral insisted on forcing the vessels to remain at sea during the dangerous conditions.
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