An Italian diver stumbled upon Roman bronze coins that would set in motion a journey through time. The find prompted the Ministry of Culture in Italy to assemble a team of experts to investigate the artefact.
The dive occurred near Arzachena. Once alerted, divers from both an art protection squad and the Ministry’s undersea archaeology entered the sea.
They uncovered tens of thousands of Roman bronze coins, each hailing from the 4th century. The coins, known as follis, were introduced around 294 AD.
What sets this discovery apart from others of its kind is the exceptional state of preservation of these ancient coins. The coins suffered some degree of damage, but the inscriptions remained legible.
Luigi La Rocca, an official from Sardinia’s archaeology department, believes it provides a testament to the region’s rich history, affirming the wealth and importance of its submerged archaeological heritage.
The majority of coins were found in a sandy area nestled between underwater seagrass and the beach. This positioning hints at the possibility of nearby shipwrecks. This Sardinia coast discovery has parallels to a similar find in Devon, UK, back in 2013. In that instance, 22,888 follis were discovered near a Roman villa and a military fortification site, dating back to the second to third centuries.