Italy's Carabinieri cultural protection unit has discovered the wreck of an ancient Roman ship off the coast of Sicily, uncovering hundreds of amphorae and parts of anchors inside the vessel. The find adds to the archaeological record of the region's role as a major trading hub in antiquity, offering fresh physical evidence of the maritime commerce that passed through Sicilian waters under Roman rule.

The wreck was located roughly three miles off Mazara del Vallo, on Sicily's western coast. Sicily was first colonised by the ancient Greeks from around the eighth century BC before being conquered by Rome in about 240BC, making it a strategically important centre of Mediterranean trade for centuries.