Beachgoer spots odd object in sand in Italy. It may have carried wine 2,000 years ago

A beachgoer in Italy stumbled upon an object in the sand that likely dates back around 2,000 years, officials said.

While walking along a beachfront in Latina, a municipality south of Rome, a man spotted a long ceramic object along the water Aug. 11, according to Italy’s National Associated Press Agency (ANSA).

He then alerted a nearby lifeguard, who rushed to secure the object before anyone else could get their hands on it, according to the outlet.

The object was then delivered to local authorities for analysis and conservation, according to News 24. Preliminary findings indicate it is a fragment of an amphora, a container used in ancient Roman times.

Specifically, it is the neck, or top part, of an amphora, the local director of a maritime non-profit told McClatchy News.

Amphora were commonly used to transport goods over long distances, according to research from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom.

The pottery vessels came in all different shapes and sizes, though most often they were large, cylindrical and equipped with handles, archaeologists at the university wrote.

They were “designed primarily for the transport of liquid commodities such as wine, olive oil or fish sauces,” the archaeologists wrote. “Since they would not stand upright unsupported, they were designed particularly for maritime transport.”

The fragment found at the beach appears to date to around the first or second century B.C., and it may have washed ashore during a recent storm, according to ANSA.

Its discovery indicates the beaches of Latina may hold more archaeological treasures than previously thought, according to Latina Quotidiano, an online newspaper.

Local authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

Google Translate was used to translate articles from ANSA, News 24 and Latina Quotidiano and an email from the local director of a maritime non-profit.

This story was originally published August 14, 2023 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Beachgoer spots odd object in sand in Italy. It may have carried wine 2,000 years ago."