Sicily: bronze rostrums found dating back to the battle of the Egadi Islands

At a depth of about 85 meters of the seabed of the island of Levanzo (Egadi archipelago, Sicily), three bronze rostrums from Roman times have been found dating back to the Battle of the Egadi, a conflict that took place in 241 B.C. that saw the Romans, who emerged victorious, fight the Carthaginians. The find is the result of a collaboration between the Superintendence of the Sea, the operational arm of the Regional Department of Cultural Heritage, and the U.S. research center "Rpm Nautical Foundation." The rostrums were weapons of war that were mounted on the bows of ships and were used to ramming enemy ships. One of the three rostrums found off Levanzo has already been fished out.

Regional President Nello Musumeci explained, “The goal of my government is to take our discoveries as a model of scientific research around the world. A model created with Sicilian resources thanks to synergies with world-class organizations. The new Cultural Heritage policy in the island also passes through excellences such as these that are certainly a flywheel of scientific, tourist and cultural development.”

Cultural Heritage Councillor Sebastiano Tusa pointed out, “The Musumeci government intends to develop more and more international cooperation in archaeological research, which is yielding great results in terms of enriching our cultural heritage and Sicily’s visibility in the world, with very important tourism spin-offs. Until the 2000s, only two rostrums had been found in the world. Thanks to the insight that allowed the discovery of the exact site of the Battle of the Egadi, the island holds a world record: sixteen rostrums and twenty-one helmets.”

In 2004, archaeological research began in the seabed of this area, and since then, eleven Roman rostrums, two Carthaginian rostrums, twenty-one Roman helmets of the Montefortino type, and a large number of amphorae and ship’s equipment have been found.

In the photo, one of the three rostrums is fished out (credit Assessorato ai Beni Culturali della Regione Sicilia)

Sicily: bronze rostrums found dating back to the battle of the Egadi Islands

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.