Archaeologists in Croatia have uncovered a significant hoard of gold artefacts from a Byzantine-era shipwreck that has lain in the Mediterranean for more than 1,300 years, according to findings formally presented by the Croatian Conservation Institute this summer. The discovery is considered a record gold haul from the region and suggests that a wealthy and powerful individual, along with an entourage, may have been travelling aboard the vessel when it sank.

The findings came after years of underwater excavation work at the site. While full details of the artefacts have not yet been disclosed, the scale and quality of the gold recovered point to a passenger of considerable status, offering archaeologists fresh insight into Byzantine-era maritime travel and trade in the Mediterranean.