Antiquity and beauty of wine in the amphorae found in the Roman shipwreck of Mazara del Vallo

Nothing tells the story of humanity quite like archaeological discoveries. And when it comes to wine, a new find confirms just how widespread, consumed, and traded this beverage was many years before the birth of Christ. Off the coast of Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, in the Mediterranean Sea, a Roman shipwreck was recently discovered at a depth of 46 meters. According to initial estimates, it dates back to between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. The wreck was found near hundreds of Dressel 1A amphorae lying on the seabed. These large, cylindrical containers were used in antiquity primarily for transporting wine. The Strait of Sicily has, in fact, been a major commercial maritime route for millennia, much as it remains today. Since the time of the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans, it served as a key passage for ships traveling to and from Carthage, Spain, and North Africa.
The discovery was made by the Palermo Unit of the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, the Sicilian Region Superintendency of the Sea, and the Messina Underwater Carabinieri Unit, with support from the Trapani Carabinieri patrol boat, following a report from private citizens. It provides further confirmation of wine millennia-old history and of the fact that it was already being exported and traded between countries centuries ago. In Sicily, moreover, much of the credit for the development of the island winemaking and viticulture belongs to the Greeks, who introduced new grape varieties and brought numerous technical improvements to local wine production.
“It is one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years - commented Italy Minister of Culture,Alessandro Giuli -  the sea continues to return precious fragments of our history, and the Mazara del Vallo shipwreck tells us about the people, routes, and exchanges which made the Mediterranean a crossroads of civilizations. Research will continue in order to uncover its story and share it with the public”.
The site will now be the subject of further documentation and investigation by the Superintendency of the Sea, aimed at reconstructing its archaeological context and implementing the necessary measures for its protection.