History
An archaic (Greek?) wreck dating from the period between the 6th and 5th centuries BC was discovered in the waters off Santa Maria del Focallo in southeastern Sicily. The location was reported to the Soprintendenza del Mare in 2022. This was followed by a short investigation in June 2023.
Kaukane project
This discovery is part of the ongoing Kaukana Project, initiated in 2017, which aims to reconstruct the coastal and underwater landscape between Ispica, Kaukana, and Kamarina.* The Kaukana program is implemented, among others, by the University of Udine in collaboration with the Soprintendenza del Mare¹
Research
The site at Santa Maria del Focallo is buried under a layer of sand and boulders. In June 2023, a preliminary survey was carried out by Soprintendenza del Mare and underwater archaeologist Prof Massimo Capulli from the University of Udine. A three-week excavation was carried out in September 2024. The excavation was led by an interdisciplinary team from the University of Udine’s Department of Humanities and Cultural Heritage Studies and Sicily’s Superintendency of the Sea (Soprintendenza del Mare). Supported by the Messina Coast Guard Diving Unit and the Port Authority of Pozzallo, the team documented the site using advanced underwater photogrammetry, creating a 3D model of the wreck for precise analysis.
Construction technology
The preliminary results of the construction research seem to point to a Mediterranean construction method. The 'shell first' method. The hull is built first and then the trusses are placed in it. The side planks are carvel-built and connected with mortise and tenon joints as we know from other ancient Mediterranean wrecks (Kyrenia wreck).
The shipwreck and its associated artifacts are valuable pieces of the puzzle in understanding ancient Mediterranean trade. During the Archaic to Classical transition, Sicily’s colonies were pivotal in the exchange of goods and ideas. This vessel, a silent witness to that era, offers clues about the commodities traded and the cultural connections forged across the Mediterranean.
-------------------------------------
*) In Sicily, from the 8th and 7th centuries BC. the Greeks founded a series of colonies. In the 6th century BC. The last in the series, the cities of Akragas and Kamarina were founded on the southern coast of Sicily. Akragas (Agrigento) grew into one of the largest cities of antiquity.