Wreck of 1,600-year-old Roman ship found in Spain

CAIRO – 10 March 2022: The wreck of a Romanian cargo ship, known as Ses Fontanelles, has been found off one of Mallorca's busiest beaches, Spanish newspaper The Guardian reported.

The Roman cargo ship and its well-preserved amphorae jars just below the sea surface and almost on the one of the busiest beaches in Spain. (Jose A Moya / Arqueomallornauta-Consell de Mallorca, Universitat de Barcelona, Universidad de Cádiz, Universitat de les Illes Balears )

The website stated that in AD 117, at the time of the death of Caesar Trajan, the Roman Empire had reached its regional peak. It stretched across the Mediterranean to North Africa and Western Asia. The Romans used ships for many things that were sold or bought from their distant colonies.

As a result, shipwrecks in the waters of the Mediterranean from Roman times are common. The recently found Roman cargo ship dates back to the 4th century AD. 

Two perfectly preserved amphora found on the Roman cargo ship that sank meters from a busy beach in Mallorca, Spain. (Arqueomallornauta / Consell de Mallorca )

The ship was carrying hundreds of amphorae [carrying on both sides] of wine, olives, oil and garlic during a layover in Mallorca, en route from southwest Spain to Italy. The ship docked in Palma Bay when violent waves came, swallowed the ship and buried it under the shallow sea floor.

It was especially surprising that the wreck of this ancient ship was located 50 meters (164 feet) from a very busy beach, with its contents only two meters (6.5 feet) below sea level. 

This tourist beach off the Balearic Islands welcomes millions of visitors each year, but shockingly, not a single artifact has been touched from the shipwreck after it sank.