Mazarrón II ship director starts work to recover 4th-century Roman ship in Mallorca

The specialist team will carefully lift the Ses Fontanelles wreck, discovered in 2019 near the Mallorcan coast

On March 10, the operation to recover the Ses Fontanelles shipwreck, one of the most important underwater archaeological finds in the western Mediterranean, officially began.

The ship was discovered in 2019, just a few metres from the Mallorcan coast, after a storm and dates back to the 4th century AD. It’s impressive not only because of the excellent preservation of the ship itself but also because of its cargo, which includes hundreds of Roman-era amphorae. These artefacts provide a rare insight into trade and daily life in the late Roman world.

The recovery is being carried out by a specialised team of underwater archaeologists and heritage conservators. They will carefully lift the ship from the seabed while ensuring the preservation of both the vessel and its cargo.

The project is coordinated by Miquel Àngel Cau-Ontiveros from the Universitat de Barcelona, Darío Bernal-Cassola from the University of Cádiz, Enrique García from the University of the Balearic Islands, and Carlos de Juan from the University of Valencia. Their multidisciplinary team includes archaeologists, conservators, engineers, and researchers with extensive experience in similar projects. Carlos de Juan previously directed the Mazarrón II Phoenician shipwreck recovery, one of the most important underwater archaeology campaigns in Spain.

Conservators Luis Carlos Zambrano and Elisa Fernández are also involved, along with Mallorcan archaeologists Sebastià Munar and Xim Gual de Torrella. Experts from the Museo Nacional de Arqueología Subacuática (ARQUA) in Cartagena, Spain’s leading institution for the conservation of underwater heritage, are contributing their expertise as well.

At the same time, work is being completed at Castell de Sant Carles, where a dedicated space has been prepared to receive and treat the ship and its cargo once it is safely brought ashore. The careful planning and collaboration across institutions make certain that this remarkable find can be studied and preserved for future generations.

Images: Universitat de les Illes Balears - UIB