In the rare convergence of military technology and maritime archeology, the French Navy’s underwater drone, operating on the southern coast near Saint-Tropez, found the deepest ship accident ever found in French territorial waters.
Rest at a depth of 2567 meters (1.5 miles or 8 200 feet), 16th -century Italian Trade Ship, temporarily appointed Camarate 4became an exceptionally well -preserved time capsule from the Renaissance maritime trading.
A 16th century ship accident
Initially, Sonar was found as an unspecified “large object”. The debris was later confirmed by a high -definition image and robotics exploration.
The ship, calculated at 30 meters long and 7 meters wide, was almost intact, and its contents were extremely unsuccessful.
The Navy’s Navy authorities have conducted further research using French maritime archaeologists using remotely operated vehicles (ROV), revealing various and intact cargoes, including nearly 200 Ligurial Ceramic Hollyons, Anchor, Iron Bars, Artillery pieces and neat yellow.
Despite the small contamination of modern debris, plastic bottles, fishing nets and beer cans, the archaeological value of the find remains unmatched.
Researchers described Camarat 4 as a “time capsule” from the early modern period. Its preserved cargo, which provides direct insights into commercial and cultural networks that connected the Italian Peninsula to wider Mediterranean markets.
Initial evaluations show that the ship was probably rising in Liguria, northern Italy. Ceramic artefacts containing the iHS monogram, shortening the name of the Greek Jesus along with flowers and geometric motifs, corresponds to the ceramics of the mid -19th century Liguria.
The design and construction of the ship also shows that it belonged to the class of merchant vessels, owned by the Liguria or Genoa crew, often consisting of family members or men from the same village.
The Italian Renaissance Era Sales System
Such vessels formed a marine spine of the Italian Renaissance Era trade system, regularly transporting wine, olive oil, metal and ceramics between Italy, Corsica and Sardinia.
Metal cargo on board the Camarat 4 consists of iron rods first, the usual secondary export of Italian merchant ships of that period.
Historical records confirm that these rods were usually bound and protected against corrosion using organic wrap.
They were moved and distributed by arriving in the regional mountains that turned untreated metal into tools, weapons and agricultural implements.
The presence of ceramic and iron on debris reflects the established strategies for Renaissance maritime trade risk reduction, diversifying cargo to ensure profitability, regardless of market fluctuations.
Camarat 4 logs in Lomellina (drowned in 1516) and Danish Sainte-Dorothea (1693).
The recent discovery emphasizes the fate of larger ships such as Santo Spirit and Santa Maria di Loreto.
Ragusan Galleon drowned near Genoa in 1579, carrying more than 2,000 tons of navy.
This conclusion is an important stage of underwater archeology and a strong reminder of the Italian historical maritime republics.
The combination of advanced sea detection platforms and methodological archaeological evaluation provided an unprecedented access to the submerged Mediterranean History Department hidden in 2.5 kilometers of sea water for almost five centuries.