A collection of approximately 26 Roman amphorae recovered from around 1,400 metres beneath the sea south of Formentera is now undergoing conservation at the Museu Arqueològic d'Eivissa i Formentera (MAEF).

The discovery was made accidentally during a fisheries research campaign and has since been transferred to the museum, where specialists are carrying out desalination and preventive conservation before the pieces can be restored and studied.

The Balearic Government has described the archaeological material as having “extraordinary scientific value”, particularly because of its depth, the number of pieces recovered and the numerous marks and stamps found on the amphorae.

Found during a scientific survey

The discovery took place during the MEDITS campaign, an international Mediterranean research programme used to study marine resources and ecosystems.

The oceanographic vessel Miguel Oliver made the find while carrying out one of its research operations south of Formentera.

The material was recovered from around 1,400 metres below the surface.

After the discovery, the Balearic Government worked with the Spanish Ministry of Culture, the Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Consell de Formentera to arrange the recovery and transfer of the archaeological material.

The Government says the waters where the material was found are under state jurisdiction, and the Ministry of Culture authorised the temporary deposit of the finds at the MAEF.

Approximately 26 amphorae

The recovered collection contains approximately 26 Roman amphorae and 17 boxes of fragmented ceramic material.

The amphorae belong to the Dressel 20 type, a large Roman vessel widely associated with the transport of olive oil.

Some of the Formentera finds are almost complete, while others are fragmented.

Dressel 20 amphorae were widely used for the transport of olive oil during the Roman period, particularly from southern Hispania into other parts of the Roman Mediterranean and western provinces.

Why the markings matter

The amphorae contain numerous stamps and other marks that could become particularly valuable to researchers.

The Balearic Government's director general of Culture, Llorenç Perelló, said the markings could provide information about maritime trade routes and the transportation of olive oil in the western Mediterranean.

Such markings can help archaeologists identify production centres, producers or distributors and establish connections between vessels, commodities and trading networks.

The detailed interpretation of the Formentera material, however, will only be possible after conservation and further scientific study.

The conservation process has begun

Because the amphorae have spent a very long period underwater, conservation must be carried out carefully.

The pieces are currently undergoing desalination in specially prepared water tanks at the MAEF.

This stage is intended to stabilise the archaeological material before definitive restoration and scientific analysis.

The museum has been assessing the condition of the finds while maintaining the necessary conservation measures.

The Balearic Government has stressed the fragility of the material and the importance of keeping the archaeological objects stable during the conservation process.

Preserving the material for future research

Once restoration and treatment are complete, the amphorae will remain at the MAEF for research and later public exhibition.

That means the discovery is not being treated simply as a collection of individual objects, but as archaeological evidence that can be studied as a group.

The combination of the amphorae, their markings and their exceptional depth could offer researchers additional information about Roman maritime activity in the western Mediterranean.

An unusual depth for archaeological material

The depth of the find is one of its most notable characteristics.

The archaeological material was recovered from approximately 1,400 metres underwater, considerably deeper than many of the better-known submerged archaeological sites around the Balearic Islands.

The Government has specifically highlighted the depth as one of the reasons the discovery is considered significant.

The material was also recovered in circumstances unrelated to a dedicated archaeological excavation. It was encountered accidentally during a scientific fisheries survey.

No confirmed shipwreck identification yet

The recovery has prompted obvious questions about how Roman amphorae came to rest at such a depth.

At present, however, the available official information does not establish that the material belongs to a specific identified shipwreck.

The Balearic Government refers to an archaeological site at the depth where the material was found, but further archaeological study will be needed to establish the wider context of the amphorae and the circumstances in which they reached the seabed.

For that reason, the discovery should currently be described as a collection of Roman archaeological material recovered during the MEDITS campaign rather than definitively labelled a shipwreck.

A coordinated recovery

The recovery required coordination between several institutions.

The Balearic Government's Department of Culture activated procedures after being informed of the discovery and worked with the Ministry of Culture's underwater heritage service to authorise the transfer.

The crew of the Miguel Oliver also played an important conservation role after the discovery. According to the Government, the material was kept continuously hydrated with hoses while it remained aboard the vessel, helping stabilise the fragile finds before they reached the museum.

What happens next?

The immediate priority is conservation.

The desalination process must be completed before the pieces can undergo their definitive restoration. Once stabilised, researchers will be able to study the amphorae, including their forms, markings and stamps.

That work could help clarify where the vessels were produced, how they entered Mediterranean trade networks and what they can reveal about the transport of olive oil during the Roman period.

The museum also plans for the pieces to be made available for public exhibition after the research and restoration work is completed.

A new chapter in Formentera's underwater heritage

The discovery adds another significant group of archaeological material to the underwater heritage associated with the Pitiüses.

For now, the approximately 26 amphorae are safely stored at the MAEF while conservation specialists work to stabilise them.

What began as an unexpected discovery during a scientific survey could ultimately provide researchers with new evidence about Roman trade and maritime activity in the western Mediterranean.

The next stage will be the detailed archaeological study of the objects themselves and the information contained in their markings.