New objects discovered and salvaged from ancient shipwreck in Calvia, Mallorca

An ancient shipwreck from the fourth century BC off the coast of Calvia is being explored again for the first time in 50 years, and some exciting discoveries have been made.

The exploration of the Punic shipwreck in El Sec, Calvia, from the fourth century BC, is being carried out thanks to a grant of €54,316 from the Consell de Mallorca’s Directorate of Heritage. On June 2, the Consell announced that newly discovered materials had been retrieved from the shipwreck. They will be investigated and then handed over to the Museum of Mallorca.

The newly recovered pieces include ceramics, jewellery, metal objects and foodstuffs such as coriander and almonds.

“We are amazed,” said Carlos de Juan, one of the co-directors of the project, speaking of the findings of part of the ship’s cargo and the state of the naval architecture. The research will provide important information about trade in the Mediterranean during that historical period.

According to de Juan and the other co-director, Sebastià Munar, the idea of exploring the shipwreck again after it had not been touched for 50 years arose after the underwater archaeological survey of 2019 showed that there were still remains of wood. With more modern means than in the 1970s, it was found that there were still some areas to excavate, which led to the discovery of the materials.

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