Credit: Mathieu Pradinaud and Manuel Añò /Gédéon Programmes 2022 UNESCO DRASSM
For centuries, the Strait of Sicily has been a vital passageway for trade, travel, and maritime transportation in the Mediterranean Sea.
It’s also home to a shipwreck graveyard.
In a shallow, rocky region called the Skerki Bank, archaeologists have found the remains of ships dating back to the Roman Empire.
Credit: Mathieu Pradinaud and Manuel Añò /Gédéon Programmes 2022 UNESCO DRASSM
There are also wrecks from the 19th century, and at least a half dozen vessels littering the seafloor that met their end during World War I and II.
Credit: Mathieu Pradinaud and Manuel Añò /Gédéon Programmes 2022 UNESCO DRASSM
Last week, a UNESCO expedition docked after two weeks of documenting the graveyard in never-before-seen detail.
Credit: Mathieu Pradinaud and Manuel Añò /Gédéon Programmes 2022 UNESCO DRASSM
Scientists from eight countries sailed to sea aboard the French research vessel Alfred Merlin.
Their goal was to catalog remains so that the sites can be protected and preserved for years to come.
Two Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROVs) scanned the seafloor with high-resolution cameras and sonar.
Credit: Mathieu Pradinaud and Manuel Añò /Gédéon Programmes 2022 UNESCO DRASSM
Credit: Mathieu Pradinaud and Manuel Añò /Gédéon Programmes 2022 UNESCO DRASSM
In addition to capturing detailed footage of three previously documented Roman vessels, the researchers also identified three new shipwrecks off the coast of Tunisia.
A full report of the findings is due later this year.
In the meantime, UNESCO released stunning new footage from the expedition, showcasing a vast and haunting burial place full of historical treasures.
Credit: Mathieu Pradinaud and Manuel Añò /Gédéon Programmes 2022 UNESCO DRASSM
Here are 8 new views of a few wreckage sites:
Credit: Mathieu Pradinaud and Manuel Añò /Gédéon Programmes 2022 UNESCO DRASSM
8. This overview shot reveals piles of ancient artifacts that researchers are still working to identify.
Vincent Creuze
7. Though the wreckage from this Roman-age site has weathered with time, it’s remarkably well preserved.
6. Many ruins were first identified in the 1970s and 80s, and researchers say they’re in roughly the same shape as they were back then.
Credit: Mathieu Pradinaud and Manuel Añò /Gédéon Programmes 2022 UNESCO DRASSM
V. Creuze ROV Drassm
5. Artifacts can degrade rapidly, thanks to natural erosion or human activities, but that hasn’t happened here.
4. One of the ROVs can be seen capturing footage of a wreckage site.
Credit: Mathieu Pradinaud and Manuel Añò /Gédéon Programmes 2022 UNESCO DRASSM
UNESCO
3. A pile of treasures rests in its sunken grave.
2. Small sea creatures flitter in front of the camera as the ROV fixes its gaze on the wreckage.
Credit: Mathieu Pradinaud and Manuel Añò /Gédéon Programmes 2022 UNESCO DRASSM
Vincent Creuze
1. Though this was the first detailed video and image capture of the Skerki Bank shipwrecks, researchers want to return for future missions.