In 1999, a Roman merchant ship from the 3rd century CE was discovered near the Sicilian city of Trapani. The object was at a depth of less than two meters – 150 meters from the shore. The object was not excavated from the sea until 2011 and underwent conservation. Since 2015, the artefact is in the Parco Archeologico di Lilibeo in Marsala (Sicily).
The ship was 27 meters long and 9 meters wide. The vessel sank when attempting to enter the Birgi River, which was navigable in ancient times. Apart from the remains of the hull, numerous amphorae have been discovered, such as from North Africa.
