A 2,000-year-old shipwreck was found in Italy after local fishermen reported that they kept finding shards of pottery in their fishing nets. A team of researchers set out to investigate, and what they found is extraordinary. Beneath the sea off the Italian coast lay a Roman-era commercial vessel and its cargo of food-filled pots, called amphorae. Two-hundred of these 2,000-year-old amphorae were still intact, buried in the seafloor, and contained food. Researchers determined that the pots contained wine, oil, pickled fish and grains that were used for trading.
The Daily Mail reported, “The ship is thought to have traveled on trade routes between Spain and what is now central Italy.” The discovery was first announced on Aug. 7, 2012.
The 2,000-year-old shipwreck is among the most well preserved shipwrecks found from the Roman era. The perfectly preserved pots filled with food may give researchers a closer look at the types of food that were consumed back when the ship was built. As they uncover more of the wreckage, they may also get a better idea of what life was like on a trade ship 2,000 years ago.
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