Located in southern Italy’s Puglia region, on the Ionian coast of the Salento Peninsula (not to be confused with Gallipoli in Türkiye), the historic port town of Gallipoli is now at the center of an extraordinary underwater archaeological discovery. In a recent Facebook announcement, the Italian Ministry of Culture confirmed the new discovery of a remarkably well-preserved Roman merchant shipwreck resting on the seabed off the city’s coastline.
Although the shipwreck was identified in June 2025, Italian authorities intentionally kept the find confidential for several months to protect the site from looting and to preserve its exceptional scientific value. During this period, the wreck was continuously monitored by the Italian Guardia di Finanza, in close coordination with the Archaeological Superintendency for Fine Arts and Landscape (ABAP).
A Roman Merchant Ship Frozen on the Seabed
The newly revealed shipwreck is identified as a large navis oneraria, a Roman commercial vessel used for long-distance maritime trade. Resting on the seabed at considerable depth off the Gallipoli coastline, the ship is described as being exceptionally well preserved, with its cargo still clearly visible.
What makes the discovery particularly significant is the nature of the cargo: amphorae filled with garum, the fermented fish sauce that was one of the most prized and expensive commodities of the Roman world. Garum was not only a staple of Roman cuisine but also a luxury product, traded across the empire from Hispania to Gaul and beyond.
A Discovery Kept Secret to Protect a Priceless Site
According to the Ministry of Culture, secrecy was essential in the months following the discovery. Underwater archaeological sites are especially vulnerable to illegal salvage, and the presence of a cargo as valuable as garum amphorae posed a high risk of looting.
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Throughout this period, the area was continuously monitored by maritime patrols, while preliminary assessments were carried out by specialists to evaluate the condition of the wreck and its archaeological potential. Only after securing the site and defining a protection strategy did authorities decide to make the discovery public.
New Insights into Roman Trade and Daily Life
The garum cargo provides a direct and rare testimony of commercial exchanges in the Roman Mediterranean. Archaeologists believe the ship was part of an extensive trade network supplying elite markets with luxury food products, offering new opportunities to study Roman economic systems, consumption habits, and daily life during the imperial period.
Experts underline that finds of this scale and state of preservation are uncommon. The arrangement of the amphorae on the seabed still traces the original outline of the vessel, allowing researchers to reconstruct shipbuilding techniques, cargo organization, and maritime routes with unprecedented accuracy.
A Strategic Area for Ancient Navigation
The waters off Gallipoli and the wider Salento coast were a strategic maritime corridor in antiquity, connecting the eastern and western Mediterranean. However, the same routes were also dangerous, exposed to sudden storms and complex coastal morphology, which often led to shipwrecks.
This latest discovery confirms the Ionian Sea as one of the richest underwater archaeological areas in southern Italy, reinforcing the need for long-term protection and research initiatives.
Toward Excavation and Preservation
The Ministry of Culture has announced that the discovery will now be followed by systematic documentation, advanced underwater surveys, and the planning of future excavation and conservation activities. These efforts aim not only to protect the wreck but also to make its historical value accessible through research, exhibitions, and public communication.
“A submerged heritage that returns to tell its story,” the Ministry stated in its announcement—one that promises to deepen our understanding of Roman civilization and its vast maritime world.
Cover Image Credit: Italian Ministry of Culture Via Facebook
