Navy Researchers Scanned the Seafloor and Tracked a Ping. Then They Found a Staggering 500-Year-Old Shipwreck.
AOL.com • • world
Key Points:
- The French military accidentally discovered the deepest shipwreck in French waters during a routine sonar survey off the coast of Ramatuelle, lying 8,200 feet underwater.
- The shipwreck, named Camarat 4, is a well-preserved 16th-century merchant vessel approximately 98 feet long, carrying ceramics including over 200 earthenware pitchers with Ligurian origins.
- Detailed inspections using remotely operated underwater vehicles captured high-quality images and mapped the site, revealing intact cargo such as pitchers, plates, anchors, cannons, and cauldrons.
- The wreck has remained undisturbed due to its depth, offering a rare opportunity to study a virtually intact ship from the 16th century without prior looting or salvage.
- French authorities plan to create a digital 3D model of the shipwreck and conduct further research including artifact sampling, with the assistance of expert panels.
