More than 300 amphorae recovered from a 5th to 4th-century BC shipwreck off Calabria may help archaeologists reconstruct ancient wine-trade networks across Magna Graecia and the wider Mediterranean.
Detail of the shipwreck cargo
Italian archaeologists have begun detailed study and recovery operations on a 5th to 4th-century BC shipwreck discovered off the coast of Calabria, southern Italy. The site contains a cargo of more than 300 amphorae and could yield new insights into ancient trade routes linking the Greek colonies of Magna Graecia with the wider Mediterranean world.
Although the wreck was identified in 2023, researchers recently presented the find publicly during the Eighth National Conference on Underwater Archaeology at the Archaeological Park of Campi Flegrei. Investigations are now focused on documenting, analysing and recovering the cargo.
Ancient cargo
The wreck lies off Monasterace, on Calabria’s Ionian coast. Archaeologists have identified more than 300 amphorae dating to the 5th and 4th centuries BC, many of which remain clustered on the seabed.
According to preliminary assessments, the amphorae may help researchers better understand the production and distribution of wine from the Greek settlements of southern Italy. The cargo also appears to include vessel types associated with production centres in both Magna Graecia and Sicily.
Rather than focusing solely on the ship itself, researchers see the cargo as a valuable archive of economic activity, commercial relationships and maritime transport during a period when Greek influence in southern Italy was at its height.
Wind farm survey
The discovery emerged from archaeological investigations carried out as part of feasibility studies for a proposed offshore wind-energy project.
Using advanced seabed mapping and remote-sensing technologies, a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists, geologists, physicists, chemists and marine biologists identified anomalies on the seabed that ultimately proved to be archaeological remains.
The find highlights an increasingly important aspect of marine archaeology. Surveys undertaken for offshore energy, cable-laying and infrastructure projects are exposing previously unknown archaeological sites in waters that have rarely been studied in detail.
Threats to the site
Photogrammetric surveys conducted since 2025 have revealed that the amphorae are divided into two separate concentrations approximately 10 metres apart.
Researchers believe the separation may have been caused by bottom-trawling activity. If confirmed, it would provide another example of how commercial fishing can unintentionally damage underwater cultural heritage.
The apparent disturbance has influenced decisions about how to manage the site. Under the principles of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, preservation in situ is generally preferred. In this case, however, archaeologists have concluded that recovering the cargo may be the best way to ensure its long-term protection.
Recovery begins
The project is being coordinated by the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria and the Province of Vibo Valentia, with support from university researchers, specialist conservators and units of the Italian Carabinieri responsible for cultural heritage protection.
Current work includes detailed photogrammetric recording, scientific sampling and conservation assessments. These studies will help determine the condition of the artefacts and direct future recovery and restoration efforts.
For underwater archaeologists, the significance of the site goes beyond a single shipwreck. The amphorae may help illuminate how goods moved through the ancient Mediterranean and provide fresh evidence of the commercial networks that connected Greek communities across southern Italy and Sicily more than 2,400 years ago.
Fact file
What was Magna Graecia?
Meaning: “Greater Greece” (Latin: Magna Graecia)
Location: Southern Italy and parts of Sicily
Period: From about the 8th century BC onwards
Origins: Founded by Greek settlers who established colonies along the coasts of southern Italy and Sicily
Importance: A major centre of trade, culture, philosophy and maritime commerce in the ancient Mediterranean. The region played a key role in connecting the Greek world with western Mediterranean societies.
Notable cities: Taras (modern Taranto), Sybaris, Kroton (modern Crotone), Rhegion (modern Reggio Calabria) and Neapolis (modern Naples)
Why it matters: The shipwreck discovered off Calabria dates from a period when Magna Graecia was at the height of its economic and cultural influence. The cargo of amphorae may help archaeologists better understand the trade networks that linked these Greek colonies with Sicily and the wider Mediterranean world.
