A 2500-year-old shipwreck and anchors were found near Sicily. Photo

A shipwreck dating back to the fifth and sixth centuries BC was found near Sicily (Italy). The researchers also discovered a collection of ancient anchors.

The 2500-year-old wreck was found under sand and stones by teams of scientists working on an underwater excavation project. Archaeologists have created a three-dimensional model of the wreck and collected samples of artifacts for analysis, hoping to learn more about the materials they are made of, CBS News reports.

When the archaeologists began excavating, they discovered a hull built using hull-on-hull construction technology, a simplified method of early shipbuilding often traced to Mediterranean populations.

The researchers also found a treasure trove of anchors a few meters from the wreckage. According to the expert, two of the anchors were made of iron and probably date back to the 7th century AD. The other four are made of heavy stone and date back to the prehistoric era.

"This discovery is an extraordinary contribution to the knowledge of the maritime history of Sicily and the Mediterranean. The wreck is a precious part of the submerged Sicilian cultural heritage," said Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, Sicily's regional advisor for cultural heritage.

According to the researchers, the found shipwreck may shed light on an important chapter of ancient Greece, which occupied Sicily for hundreds of years until the island was conquered by Rome around 200 BC.

Massimo Capulli, coordinator of the Kaukana project and professor at the University of Udine, added that studying the wreckage could help clarify how trade between the ancient Greeks and the Carthaginians, two groups that fought each other for control of the seas around modern-day Sicily thousands of years ago.

"We are faced with material evidence of movement and trade from a very ancient era," Capulli emphasized.

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