The Vigo-based oceanographic vessel Miguel Oliver, belonging to the General Secretariat for Fisheries, caught dozens of Roman amphorae south of Formentera during a survey mission. This discovery represents an extraordinary catch for a vessel dedicated to fishery research, which was not prepared for this type of archaeological discovery.
Miguel Oliver is one of three oceanographic vessels of the General Secretariat for Fisheries, together with the units Vizconde de Eza and Emma Bardán. Built at the now-defunct MCíes shipyard, the ship was launched in 2007, is 70 meters long by 14.4 meters wide, and has a capacity for 45 crew members. Its home port is in Vigo.
Last summer, Miguel Oliver was tasked with the 18th edition of the MEDIAS campaign (Mediterranean International Acoustic Survey), whose main objective was to assess the biomass of the breeding stock of anchovy and sardine in the Mediterranean.
The discovered Roman amphorae will now be subject to study and preservation, representing valuable evidence of maritime trade activity in ancient Rome. The discovery demonstrates how scientific marine research campaigns can unexpectedly reveal submerged historical heritage remains.
