Italy – Five Roman ships have been discovered off the island of Ventotene. The wrecks were dated between the first century BC and fifth century AD.  They were discovered at a depth of more than 100 meters below sea level

A team of archaeologists equipped with sonar technology have analyzed the “graveyard of wrecks” dating from the Roman Empire. Because of the depth at which they were based, the ships have remained unknown for hundreds of years. These ships are now among the most profound to have been discovered in the Mediterranean in recent years, but the growing popularity of the deep water diving seems to threaten these treasures hidden under the sea.

Ventotene Island, located off the west coast of Italy between Rome and Naples was once used for shelter during harsh weather conditions. According to Timmy Gambin, the head of the Archeology department of Aurora Trust, “the ships seem to have sought a safe place to drop anchor, but they never did.”

The ships transported Italian wine and fish caught in Spain and North Africa. The researchers have also examined a strange metal loading, which could have been used in the construction of weapons or statues.

According to Timmy Gambin, these loads are proof that Rome maintained a relationship based on trade with neighboring countries. If the Empire has begun to export, it has gradually been importing more products previously manufactured locally.

In ancient Rome, the island Ventotene was known as Pandataria and served as a place of exile for disgraced women of the Roman nobility. Thus, the Emperor Augustus had sent his daughter, Julia, after she was accused of adultery. In the twentieth century, Mussolini had made the island a prison for opponents of the dictatorship.

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