Roman wreck discovered in Spain

Wine destined for the Roman colony in Spain has finally turned up - 2200 years later.


The cargo of amphoras - the last remains of a Roman shipwreck - were discovered outside the harbour of Cartagena during an exploration of the seabed by the Aurora Trust.




The eagle-eyed marine explorers spotted an anomaly on the sidescan sonar but it was only when they went down to investigate did they discover the amazing historic treat when they filmed thousands of amphora of wine which had been carefully packed in the hold.




Working with the National Centre for Underwater Archaeology of Spain, they have created a map of the submerged cultural heritage on the seabed outside the harbour, and have set about targeting various items of interest.

The ancient Roman ship was one such item, which the team from Aurora Trust were able to film and photograph thoroughly using the highly manoeuvrable Saab Seaeye Falcon ROV.



The wreck was discovered in late 2007 but only properly mapped on a return expedition last year, details of which have just been published.