Wreckage of five ancient ships found off Italy: report

Their discovery shows the area was an important crossroads on the maritime route used by ancient ships, and a "real underwater museum exists all around the island," said Annalisa Zarattini, one of the archaeologists.
Search teams found the ships about 100 metres (330 feet) underwater as part of a research project begun in August 2008.
The oldest ship is 18 metres long and dates to the 1st century BC, according to the archaeologists' estimates. The others range between 13 and 25 metres long and still contain cargo of Spanish and African jugs.
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