A joint Tunisian-Italian expedition has located an exceptionally well-preserved Punic merchant vessel at a depth of 400 meters in the Skerki Bank region. Dating back to approximately 300 BCE, the ship is believed to have been a key player in the Carthaginian trade network, carrying a diverse cargo of salted fish, wine, and North African ceramics. The absence of oxygen at such depths has left the wooden hull and several woven baskets remarkably intact, providing a unique "time capsule" of Mediterranean commerce.
The discovery was made using advanced autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) equipped with high-definition multi-beam sonar. This find is significant as it provides the first direct archaeological evidence of the maritime logistics used by Carthage during its height of power before the Punic Wars. Researchers plan to use robotic arms to recover specific samples for carbon dating and DNA analysis of the organic remains, which could reveal the genetic origins of the crops traded across the ancient world.