The sea, which was the setting for the Battle of the Aegates Islands off the coast of Sicily, continues to reveal its archaeological treasures. During the August research campaign, a new bronze ship ram (rostrum) was recovered from the seabed at a depth of around 80 meters.
This valuable find was retrieved by divers from the Society for Documentation of Submerged Sites (Sdss) with the support of the research oceanographic vessel “Hercules,” which, thanks to its advanced technology, has enabled the location and recovery of numerous artifacts related to this historic confrontation from the 3rd century BC.
The rostrum, a devastating weapon that was placed on the prow of warships to ram and sink enemy vessels, has been taken to the immediate intervention laboratory at the Florio Establishment in Favignana. There, archaeologists from the Superintendence of the Sea of the Sicilian Region are already analyzing its characteristics.
The new rostrum shows similarities to others found in previous campaigns, with a relief decoration on the front representing a Montefortino helmet with three feathers on top. However, the marine encrustations covering it still prevent the verification of any inscriptions.
Search activities in the stretch of sea between Levanzo and Favignana have been ongoing for approximately 20 years by a team composed of the Superintendence of the Sea, the American RPM Nautical Foundation, and the Sdss. With this latest discovery, the total number of rostra recovered since the early 2000s has risen to 27.
In addition to these rostra, over the last two decades, 30 Montefortino helmets belonging to Roman soldiers, two swords, several coins, and a considerable number of amphorae have been found. The Battle of the Aegates Islands, fought northwest of the island of Levanzo in 241 BC, marked the end of the First Punic War.
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