Recovery of Ancient Roman Shipwreck Concludes Near Trapani

 The excavation and recovery operations of a 3rd-century A.D. Roman shipwreck, located in the depths of Marausa, near Misiliscemi, a few kilometers from Trapani, have come to a close.

The wreckage, which sank about 100 meters from the shore at a depth of 2 meters, is in excellent condition and contains a cargo consisting of transport containers and a wide variety of objects. Numerous amphorae and valuable artifacts have already been recovered and transferred to the Baglio Anselmi Archaeological Museum in Marsala for initial conservation treatment. The work, which began in mid-June of last month, concluded with the delicate stages of recovering the hull.

Following the initial phase of excavation and documentation, which was followed by cargo retrieval operations, the procedure to secure the wreckage began. This was achieved using nets and fabric, followed by encasing it in a metal structure with specially designed supports built on-site, allowing the entire wreckage to be lifted. Previously, the hull had been secured, protected, and wrapped in specifically molded structures to facilitate maritime transportation from the discovery site to the port of Marsala.

"The team of archaeologists and underwater technicians, coordinated by the Superintendency of the Sea of the Sicilian Region," stated Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, the Councillor for Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity, "planned and directed the entire recovery operation, which represents an event of extraordinary importance. For the first time in Sicily, a complex and delicate operation has been carried out, allowing maritime transportation without affecting the original structure of the vessel."

Tonight, the wreckage will remain on the Marsala dock, and tomorrow morning it will be transported, via exceptional road transport, to the Baglio Anselmi Museum, where it will be immersed in a freshwater pool. Here, it will undergo the desalination process, followed by the conservation treatment of consolidation and restoration in the museum's laboratories.

The ship "Marausa 2" will subsequently be curated with its cargo in a museum structure currently being identified in the province of Trapani.