The remains of a shipwreck dating to the 6th or 5th century B.C. in the waters off Santa Maria del Focallo, a beach town on the southern tip of Sicily. An underwater excavation found the wreck at a depth of 20 feet, the wood of the hill buried under sand and rocks.
Experts revealed that the ship’s hull was constructed using the su guscio technique, a method that involved joining the planks of the hull with dovetail joints and clamps, which gave the structure notable strength and self-sufficiency.
Furthermore, near the wreck, two sets of anchors were identified. The two iron anchors, of the inverted “T” type, are attributed to the 7th century AD, while the four stone anchors appear to be of prehistoric origin, extending the chronology of the found elements.
The presence of a wreck at the site was first reported to the Superintendence of the Sea in 2022 and documented by volunteer Antonino Giunta of the non-profit cultural association BCsicilia. The Superintendency followed up with an excavation campaign that concluded in September of this year. The wreck was not removed, but divers collected samples of the beams for paleobotanical analysis. They also took high-resolution photographs of the wreck site. Using photogrammetry technology, the team was able to create a 3D model of the wreck that was used to document the ship’s remains with pinpoint precision.
The discovery of this wreck underscores the importance of Sicily as a strategic point in trade routes with ancient Greece.
The materials and techniques found not only provide insight into the nautical skills of the time but also highlight the intense commercial and cultural activity that flourished in the Mediterranean.
Sicily was an enormous area for many things not credited for..we weren’t a bunch of ignorant peasants like N Italy tries so hard to promote..we were adventurers, sea dogs, traders, travellers, craftsman, and the most olive oil came from Sicily groves of olives. I should know, my great grandpa was a grower, had his own olive oil business which was imported into NY for many centuries..he came to America with 2 sm children, a wife, and alot of $$..opened a grocery store..and was the 1st to deliver groceries..a helluva lot better than Walmart does, even though horses + a buggy was used..and my grandfather was in charge of them + delivery.
It’s no wonder, he and his brothers started a TriState Trucking Co..NY, CT and NJ..
Yes..we weren’t simple minded peasants, we overcame the destruction of towns by Mt Etna volcano and we employed many towns folks who migrated to NYC, helping out our fellow Sicilians..( my grandmother was college educated, rare for women in 1900, and did the correspondence for town immigrants who could neither read nor write, reading home letters and writing for them to send to the “old country.”
I suggest you read up on Sicily..how they defeated all the Invaders that tried to take over the best waterways out of Sicily and how Greece was the original inhabitants, until southern Italians, left Italy to start over in Sicily. We traced my DNA to wayy back then..so I’m 98% Sicilian 2% Greek..I’m an Original🏆😁😎
I very much appreciate the much deserved Pride you express for your Sicilian family and ancestry. The greatest minds of the Greek world lived on the island. Architecture and modern agriculture thrived there. The crossroads of the Mediterranean. We have a large, vibrant population of people here in Tampa, Florida, whose ancestors came here from Sicily. They are leaders of this community.
Good for you, D Marullo