Sensational find before Sicily: ancient Greek shipwreck discovered!

Sensational find before Sicily: ancient Greek shipwreck discovered!

Ispica, Italien - A significant archaeological find hit waves off the coast of Sicily. The ancient Greek shipwreck from ISPICA was partly exposed after intensive excavation work between May and June 2025. The work that took around five weeks enabled the discovery of a large part of the wreck, which was previously hidden from layers of sand and stones. Now objects such as a mast, black ceramic figures and a small bottle with the inscription "Nau" (ship) have come to light, supplemented by a well-preserved thaw section, such as Kleine Zeitung reported.

The team that works on this project was enthusiastic about the results. With the help of a water suction excavator, the excavation area was expanded, which enabled the exposure of other parts of the ship, including the central nave and one of the two oars. To further document the finds, a 3D model of the wreck was created, which is based on precise measurements and recordings.

cultural importance and scientific cooperation

The University of Udine received support from "Sunk Costs Productions" for a comprehensive study campaign around the shipwreck. This takes place in the context of a film project entitled "Shipwreck of Sicily", which is realized in collaboration with the US director Martin Scorsese and Sikelia Productions. The two -year shoot in Sicily has the goal of documenting not only the ISPICA wreck, but also other underwater wrecks in the region. The scientific studies alternate with the film recordings and are intended to impressively capture the cultural heritage of the region.

Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, the Sicilian Minister of Culture and Identity, emphasizes the immense importance of underwater archeology. These research is crucial for understanding civilizations that lived and shaped in the course of history.

technological progress in underwater archeology

technological developments play a central role in modern underwater archeology. One example is the medieval shipwreck of a load ship that was hidden in the Arendsee in Saxony-Anhalt for 700 years. Underwater robots of the Fraunhofer IOSB-Aast were used, which were equipped with a highly developed camera look from Zeiss to enable detailed analyzes. This innovative methodology, which uses 3D photogrammetry for the digital reconstruction of the ship, shows the possibilities of waters in Germany, which offer enormous potential for archaeological discoveries, such as [GWF Wasser] (https://gwf-wasser.de/forschung-und-wasser- und- Development/autchaeology- new-Definent-In--arendsee/) portrays.

Thanks to such technologies, over 7000 images were documented and a digital model was created, which includes more than 185 million individual areas. This progress makes it possible to gain new knowledge about the construction and functionality of high-medieval inland ships.