Shipwreck over a mile deep has centuries’ old artifacts—and modern garbage

A shipwreck accidentally discovered off France’s southeastern coast near Saint-Tropez appears to be a striking well-preserved 16th-century Italian merchant ship. At 8,422 feet below sea level, the vessel is likely the deepest of its kind ever found in French waters, according to the official announcement. But next to scattered ceramics, metal bars, and rigging rests what appear to be jarring reminders of modern life.

Earlier this year, French military personnel noticed an odd ping while guiding an underwater drone along a routine surveying expedition. Although intended to monitor potential oceanic resources and deepsea cable routes, the equipment flagged something sizable already laying over 1.5 miles below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea.

“The sonar detected something quite big, so we went back with the device’s camera, then [again] with an underwater robot to snap high-quality images,” deputy prefect Thierry de la Burgade told CBS News on June 12.

What the officers found appears to be a largely intact 16th-century Italian merchant ship measuring roughly 98-by-23 feet. The vessel was loaded with cargo on its final voyage, including around 200 jugs with pinched spouts. Some of the relics feature the monogram “IHS,” the first three letters in the Greek name of Jesus. Meanwhile, others are covered in geometric or plant-inspired patterns. These details suggest the jugs originated in the Liguria region of present-day northern Italy. Additional finds included piles of roughly 100 yellow plates, a pair of cauldrons, an anchor, and six cannons.

Archeologist Marine Sadania called the wreck an “exceptional” find.“[T]he site—thanks to its depth which prevented any recovery or looting—has remained intact, as if time froze, which is exceptional,” she added.

Other more recent artifacts appear to have also joined the vessel at its final resting place. Photos released by French authorities depict at least two objects that look suspiciously similar to aluminum drink cans. It’s difficult to glean more information about the potential trash due to the image resolution. However,  explorers have identified plastic bags at some of the deepest points in the world’s oceans, so it’s not a stretch to conclude that soda cans lay amid this roughly 500 year-old Italian shipwreck.

The mystery objects may be identified in the near future. Sadania and colleagues are planning to create a 3D digital model of the vessel over the next two years while also retrieving site samples for further analysis.

“[The wreck] is a remarkable discovery for its depth, unprecedented character and the opportunity it offers to study an almost intact 16th-century wreck,” France’s Department of Underwater and Submarine Archeological Research said on June 11.

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