The 4th-century Roman ship discovered beneath the sands of Les Fontanelles by a local resident swimming at Palma beach in the summer of 2019 concealed a true archaeological treasure: the largest collection of amphorae with inscriptions describing their cargo ever documented in the Mediterranean. The exceptional nature of the site has been revealed as it has been studied, primarily because the goods the ship carried from Carthago Spartaria (around present-day Cartagena) have been preserved as if in a time capsule for over 1,600 years.

On Tuesday, the operation to extract the Les Fontanelles shipwreck began in Mallorca. This 4th-century autumn vessel was discovered in 2019 by a diver just 65 meters from the coast. The archaeological intervention, considered crucial for ensuring the preservation and scientific understanding of the site, will allow for a deeper understanding of maritime trade and navigation during the Roman era.