During June 2009 divers from the Nucleo Operativo Subacqueo (N.O.S.) of the Archaeological Superintendency of Tuscany, the American ProMare Foundation and the Explorer Team Chimera of Livorno, undertook research in the sea off the island of Capraia. The project’s main aim was the opening of a 4 × 4 m trench in order to check the presence of a cargo of transport amphora, and any remains of the hull, from a late Republican ship which sunk in the vicinity of the underwater reef known as delle Formiche.

In fact, although numerous plates, cups and small cups of Campana A and B were visible in a 60 × 40 m area, at a depth of 18 m, the absence of the heap of amphora characteristic of many ancient wrecks made it difficult to identify the exact point in which it lay.

Having selected the area of the seabed with the largest concentration of artefacts, the trench produced a number of copper and iron nails belonging to the ship’s hull, as well as another large amount of black glaze pottery. Other finds were uncovered in the surrounding area: tiles belonging to the ship’s storeroom, a Roman As datable to between the beginning and the mid 2nd century B.C., two lead fishing net weights, the handle of a bronze simplum, two lamps and a guttus. At the end of the campaign the results left no doubt that the finds distribution was the result of the strong marine currents present in the area.