The wrecks at Sant’Andrea are three: one near the Formiche della Zanca from which two amphorae come from, one Beltran and Dressel. Another wreck near the coast, found in 1958 on a depth of 10m, and the third discovery occurred in I969, located at about 150 m. north of Capo S. Andrea on a depth of -46 m.
The wreck of Sant’Andrea from 1958 (A)
A wreck in Sant ‘Andrea was found in 1958 (A), near the coast, on a depth of about 10 m, the wreck of a Roman cargo ship was identified in 1958 by underwater fishermen. The intervention of the Experimental Center of Underwater Archeology of Albenga and the Navy allowed the acquisition of essential data and the recovery of a large part of the load: the presence of a “field of amphorae, about m. 5 X 8, deep in the center m. 8, was also identified and brought to the surface some elements pertinent to the wooden structure of the hull. In addition to the amphorae, of which it was possible to recover only one intact specimen from the deposit, there is a cereal mill, in volcanic stone, which still retains, in the central cavity, the lead casting used for welding the pivot A fragment of a roof tile with a quadrangular tooth was also recovered, perhaps referable to the roof of the stern castle.
The cargo of the wreck A
The cargo of wreck A of Sant’Andrea consisted entirely of Dressel-shaped wine amphorae covered with resin. The necks, closed by a cork, whole or left in trace, were sealed by a pozzolan operculum that bears the imprint, repeated twice – according to custom, the M FYR VIN stamp, for the moment not attested elsewhere, referable to the name of the manufacturer. The structural characteristics of the high-lipped amphorae with flat band, long cylindrical neck, perfectly vertical handles with thickened ribbon and strongly marked shoulder with sharp-angled hull, are attributable to a rather late evolution of the shape, to be dated, on the basis of the more recent finds , around the middle of the 1st century BC The amphorae of Sant’Andrea, perfectly comparable with those of the Madrague de Giens) and with those of a wreck recently discovered in the Gulf of Marseille, allow us to place the shipwreck around 50 BC.
Wreck of Sant’Andrea from 1969 (B)
The wreck of Sant’Andrea classified as B, was identified in 1969 and the subject of two careful exploration campaigns (in 1972-1973) by a group of divers from the RAF Laarbruch Sub Aqua Club, the wreck of Capo Sant’Andrea is located about 150 m. to the north from the point of the same name and lies on a depth of -46 m. Few elements of planking and fragments of lead lining sheets remain from the hull. The cargo consisted essentially of wine amphorae which, while all falling within the Dressel I form, present a range of morphological variants that appear difficult to insert in a completely satisfactory manner within the subclasses identified so far.
It is possible to observe various artifacts found with the wreck at the Civic Archaeological Museum of Linguella Portoferraio
