Underwater Treasure Unearthed in the Waters of the Aegadian Islands

 A treasure trove lies hidden beneath the waters of the Aegadian Islands, Sicily. In recent years, remarkable historical artifacts have been retrieved from the seabed, enabling the reconstruction of one of the most pivotal events in history: the Battle of the Aegadian Islands, which marked the end of the First Punic War.

The recent discovery of two bronze rostra (ramming beaks) in Levanzo is just the beginning. Archaeologists and experts are certain that ongoing searches at the Battle of the Aegadian Islands site will continue to unveil significant surprises for decades to come.

The Battle of the Aegadian Islands remains preserved in the sea after more than 2,000 years, bearing witness to one of history's bloodiest events. Occurring on March 10, 241 BC, this battle put an end to the first Punic War between the Romans and the Carthaginians. Roman ships emerged near Levanzo, catching the Carthaginian fleet off-guard, sinking 50 Carthaginian ships, and capturing 70 more, resulting in thousands of casualties. The Roman secret weapon, the rostra, was inspired by Carthaginian designs. These rostra were pointed protrusions affixed to the front of warships, capable of piercing enemy vessels. These rostra are among the most significant artifacts discovered through years of research.

Archaeologist Sebastiano Tusa, who passed away, was the visionary behind these findings. In 2002, the first rostrum was discovered under his guidance. Tusa, then in charge of the Soprintendenza del Mare of the Sicilian region, recognized the historical and scientific value of this object, which linked directly to the naval battle near the archipelago. A total of 24 rostra have been uncovered since the early 2000s. These devastating weapons, used for ramming enemy ships, proved lethal. Over the past two decades, over 30 Montefortino-type helmets, belonging to Roman soldiers, along with two swords, several coins, and a significant number of amphorae, have also been identified. In recent years, research involving deep-sea divers from the SDSS has been added to the purely instrumental investigations conducted in collaboration with the RPM, leading to the identification and retrieval of vital artifacts due to their specialization in deep-sea exploration.

Ferdinando Maurici, Superintendent of the Sea of Sicily, affirms, "The Battle of the Aegadian Islands will surely have a long future ahead. It's likely that the two recently recovered rostra won't be the last. Expect more artifacts related not only to the battle but also to various eras, as the Aegadian Sea has always been a crucial maritime route from Africa to Sicily and Rome, both in antiquity and the Middle Ages."

Archaeologist Francesca Oliveri echoes the sentiment, "The Battle of the Aegadian Islands undoubtedly has a long story ahead. Every year brings new questions requiring answers. Future investigations will allow us to unravel the dynamics of this battle and write a new chapter in Sicilian history."

Mario Arena, Coordinator of the Society for the Documentation of Submerged Sites, emphasizes, "Research will continue for decades because the site is massive, the battle was of enormous dimensions, around a hundred warships sunk, twenty thousand warriors died, all their possessions, weapons, and more lie at the seabed, and we can still retrieve many artifacts."

This ongoing research will have a central hub at the former Florio Establishment in Favignana. The municipal administration, as explained by Mayor Francesco Forgione, plans to expand the space dedicated to museums to house the significant artifacts that will be recovered.