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During a routine dive in Italy, police recently made an unusual discovery of ancient Roman artifacts lying on the seabed 2,000 years later.
The artifacts were discovered off the coast of Porto Rotondo in Sardinia, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea, Cover Images news agency reported.
The discovery was announced by the Sassari police headquarters at the end of August.
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The officers were based in Olbia, Sardinia. They spotted the ancient artifacts during an underwater security operation.
They first noticed a piece of broken terracotta, prompting them to return for a second dive, when they discovered the vessels largely intact.
Police divers have discovered ancient Roman artifacts resting on the seabed off the coast of Porto Rotondo, on the Italian island of Sardinia. (Italian Ministry of Culture/Cover images)
The discovery led divers to conduct a more detailed search of the area for other archaeological artifacts.
“Careful dredging operations resulted in the identification and subsequent recovery of three intact terracotta artifacts, specifically a carrying basin, as well as other minor objects,” officials said, according to Cover Images.
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“The artifacts have been recorded and made available to the appropriate archaeological superintendent.”
Footage shows police divers examining the seabed and ancient pottery submerged in waters off Sardinia.
Divers conducted a more detailed search of the area after discovering ancient artifacts off the coast of Sardinia. (Italian Ministry of Culture/Cover images)
One image shows an intact amphora nestled among thick seagrass on the seabed, while another shows a police diver examining a large, heavily encrusted vessel.
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In the ancient world, amphorae were used to transport various materials, including wine, olive oil, and grains.
Police said the artifacts appear to date from the period covering the fall of the Roman Republic and the start of the Roman Empire.
Ancient pottery discovered off the coast of Sardinia could date from the fall of the Roman Republic to the start of the Roman Empire. (Italian Ministry of Culture/Cover images)
“Based on preliminary analysis, it is hypothesized that the objects could date back to a period between the second half of the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, with a potential area of origin that may be linked to Lazio, Campania or the Iberian Peninsula,” the officials said, according to Cover Images.
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In the future, specialists will examine the ships to obtain more information about them, including their precise age and origin.
Researchers will also determine whether the vessels come from a larger archaeological site and whether there are other artifacts waiting to be discovered.
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Although extraordinary, such discoveries are not uncommon in Italy.
Earlier this year, Italian authorities announced the discovery of a wreck of a Roman merchant ship still carrying its cargo of amphorae in the Ionian Sea.
Specialists are expected to examine the recovered vessels to learn more about their precise age and geographic origin. (Italian Ministry of Culture/Cover images)
At the time, authorities said the wreck was discovered off Puglia during a routine maritime patrol in June 2025.
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The vessel was dated to the late Imperial era, which spanned approximately AD 284 to 641.
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