Greek altar on Roman shipwreck

The ship has been lying on the seabed for centuries at a depth of 125 meters. Among finds are the ship's anchor caught in an outcropping, amphorae scattered on the seabed, and a unique sacrificial altar.

The ship is estimated to have sunk sometime during the second Punic War, when Rome and Carthage vied for control of the Mediterranean.

Divers from the non-profit Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) discovered a 2,000 year old sacrificial altar while exploring an ancient wreck in 400 feet of water. The artifact is one of many unique discoveries that promise to help redefine what we understand about ancient trade routes and commerce in the third century B.C.

GUE technical divers working in tandem with submersibles from Brownie’s Global Logistics were able to identify and recover 16 unique artifacts that archaeologists from the Sicilian government (Superintendent of the Sea) requested for study and preservation. The recovery is likely the deepest ever archaeology accomplished by volunteer technical divers. The divers are part of a non-profit initiative called Project Baseline which uses highly skilled volunteer divers in the documentation of our world’s most cherished cultural and environmental resources.

GUE President Jarrod Jablonski called the Sacrificial Altar a “remarkable piece of history” while viewing the inscription of Greek letters and intricate wave pattern. Metal supports still imbedded in the base were likely used for fastening to the deck. Working in collaboration with the Sicilian government and under the direction of Professor Tusa, GUE divers Mario Arena, Jarrod Jablonski and Richard Lundgren recovered the object with support from Gideon Liew, John Kendall and Ingemar Lundgren.