Underwater archaeologists using autonomous sonar drones have located the wreck of a rare Ptolemaic-Roman military galley submerged 40 meters deep off the coast of Marsa Matruh, Egypt. The vessel, which likely foundered during a coastal skirmish in the late 2nd century BCE, remains largely intact due to the low-oxygen conditions of the seafloor. Most significantly, the divers recovered a cache of heavy bronze catapult bolts and stone ballista projectiles, marking the first time such specialized naval weaponry has been found in situ on a Mediterranean shipwreck.
The galley's design features a reinforced prow for ramming and lead-sheathed hull timbers, providing new data on naval architecture during the transition from Hellenistic to Roman maritime dominance. The Egyptian Antiquities Review noted that the ship also carried a small cargo of Cypriot wine and North African grain, likely supplies for a nearby military garrison. The site is being treated as a high-security archaeological zone to prevent looting while a full recovery mission is planned for the coming months.