Police stumble upon ancient shipwreck amid routine patrol, keep location secret to deter looters

A routine patrol in the Ionian Sea led Italian authorities to a remarkable discovery: a late Roman merchant shipwreck still carrying its cargo of amphorae.

In a translated statement provided to Fox News Digital, the Guardia di Finanza said the ship was found off the coast of Apulia, the "heel" of Italy.

The Guardia di Finanza, Italy's financial police force, said the ship was discovered in June 2025, though officials kept the find confidential until now.

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"The unexpected discovery occurred during routine maritime patrol operations conducted by the Guardia di Finanza using the most advanced onboard equipment, which detected an anomaly on the seabed," the February statement read.

The merchant vessel dates to the late Imperial era, roughly 284 A.D. through 641 A.D., a period that includes the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 A.D.

The ship's amphorae were designed to transport garum, a fermented fish sauce widely used as a condiment in ancient Rome, according to local outlet Giornale d'Italia. 

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The location of the ship will remain strictly confidential, officials said, to "prevent looting and preserve the valuable information contained within the archaeological deposit."

"Since the moment of discovery, the area has been under constant monitoring by the Naval Operations Section of the Guardia di Finanza in Gallipoli," the statement noted.

Authorities hope to recover more cargo from the ship. 

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Italian officials are currently surveying and documenting the wreck, using what the Guardia di Finanza described as "the most advanced investigative methodologies."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Guardia di Finanza for additional information.

The discovery is the latest in a string of ancient shipwreck finds shedding new light on Mediterranean history.

Turkish divers located a 2,000-year-old shipwreck last year, yielding hundreds of well-preserved ceramics.

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In 2024, ancient anchors and tools were found near a 2,500-year-old shipwreck off the coast of Sicily.