A 2,600-year-old Phoenician treasure is being rescued from the Mediterranean
In short: Hidden just six feet beneath the waves near Mazarrón, a wooden shipwreck has survived for over two millennia. Once buried under protective sand, shifting currents and coastal construction now threaten to expose this ancient cargo of lead ingots to the elements.
The vessel, known as the Mazarrón II, was first located by divers in 1994. Dating back approximately 2,600 years, it is attributed to the Phoenicians—a sophisticated group of maritime traders and merchants who dominated Mediterranean trade routes between roughly 1500 and 300 B.C.E. The ship's location near Playa de la Isla was preserved for centuries by a thick layer of sand, which acted as a natural shield against erosion.
Conservation efforts became urgent in recent years. Between 2017 and 2019, researchers discovered that a metal box intended to protect the site was actually sinking and risked crushing the wreck. Furthermore, coastal construction and changing sea currents began stripping away the protective sand. To prevent the ship from being destroyed by storms, archaeologists led by Carlos de Juan of the University of Valencia initiated a rescue plan in 2023.
The recovery process was meticulous, involving 560 hours of diving to map every crack and fissure. During the period from September to November 2024, a group consisting of 14 divers managed to haul the wooden wreckage measuring 27 feet in length above water in sections. The fragments are now headed to a lab in Cartagena, where they will undergo a multi-year conservation process involving desalination, resin application to repair rot, and freeze-drying before reconstruction.
While the Mazarrón II is a significant archaeological find, Spain also holds the Triunfante, a massive wreck from 1795. Sunk during a French siege, the Triunfante was the subject of an excavation from 2008 to 2010 specifically to study its unique naval architecture, highlighting Spain's diverse maritime history ranging from ancient trade to late-modern warfare.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Biggest Sunken Shipwreck Ever Discovered In Spain
- Also: Divers Recover Ancient Shipwreck That Sank 2,600 Years Ago Off the Coast of Spain
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-the-biggest-sunken-shipwreck-ever-discovered-in-spain.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Shipwrecks · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
