Deep-sea robotic surveyors have located the well-preserved wreck of a 6th-century Axumite merchant vessel resting on the floor of the Gulf of Aden. The shipwreck is one of the few surviving examples of the maritime power of the Aksumite Empire, which served as a critical link between the Roman Mediterranean and the markets of the Indian subcontinent.
The vessel's cargo includes sealed ceramic jars filled with raw garnets, sapphires, and semi-precious beads from southern India, alongside several ivory tusks and obsidian blades. Preliminary analysis of the hull indicates advanced plank-building techniques that allowed these ancient sailors to navigate the treacherous monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean.