Underwater archaeologists exploring the seabed near the port of Olbia, Sardinia, have discovered a unique 1st-century Roman shipwreck dedicated to maritime surveying and cartography. The vessel, an exceptionally well-preserved merchant galley, was carrying a specialized kit of bronze surveying instruments, including a groma (cross-staff) and a dioptra, used for coastal mapping and naval navigation.
This discovery marks the first time that a complete set of Roman nautical engineering tools has been found in situ. In addition to the mapping equipment, the wreck yielded several lead-weighted sounding lines and wooden navigational tablets with faint etchings of coastal landmarks. Experts believe the vessel was part of an official Imperial Roman commission tasked with updating the maritime charts of the Tyrrhenian Sea during the early empire.