Ancient Greek shipwreck recovered in Ispica, Italy

Scientists have successfully recovered a large portion of a Greek shipwreck dating from the 6th to 5th centuries BC from a depth of six meters off the coast of Santa Maria del Focallo, in the Sicilian region of Ispica, southern Italy. The excavation process was filmed for the documentary "Shipwreck of Sicily," co-produced by Martin Scorsese.

In addition to the ship's structure, the excavation revealed the mast, black-figure ceramics, a small ointment jar with the Greek inscription "nau" (ship), and a piece of nautical rope in excellent condition.

The work, carried out between May and June through the sixth underwater archaeology campaign led by the University of Udine and the Superintendence of the Sea of the Sicilian Region, allowed the documentation of the remains of the vessel through direct surveys and photogrammetric images, which led to the production of a three-dimensional model of the wreck.

"By acting cautiously, we were able to document new and important parts of the ship, including its mast, which is rarely preserved," explained Massimo Capulli, professor at the University of Udine and coordinator of the project.

The wreck, located partially buried under sand and rocks six meters deep, revealed that the ship was built using a technique known as "on shell", in which the planks were firmly joined together by mortise and tenon joints, giving the ship greater strength.

According to researchers, this was a primitive and simple method of shipbuilding used by Mediterranean populations.

The discovery, which takes place within the scope of the Kaukana project, brought together several professionals from the aforementioned institutions and from Sunk Costs Productions, who were involved in the production of the documentary co-produced by Martin Scorsese, "Shipwreck of Sicily", filming the excavation phase.