Underwater archaeologists have located the remains of a 4th-century CE Roman merchant vessel in the deep waters off the coast of Durrës, Albania. The wreck, identified using advanced side-scan sonar, was found at a depth of 60 meters in an anoxic environment that has kept the wooden hull remarkably intact. The vessel's primary cargo consists of a series of large marble friezes and carved architectural blocks, believed to be decorative elements intended for a major public building in the Roman province of Epirus Nova.
The excavation team from the Albanian Institute of Archaeology noted that the friezes depict scenes from Greco-Roman mythology, specifically the trials of Dionysus, executed in a late-imperial style. Also found among the wreckage were several lead-sealed amphorae containing residues of fermented fish sauce and wine, which will undergo chemical analysis to determine their origin. This discovery highlights the vibrant maritime trade that continued to thrive in the Adriatic during the transition to the Byzantine era.