Drone discovers 16th-century shipwreck at record depth in French waters

The shipwreck is virtually intact, thanks to its depth of more than 2.5 kilometres beneath the surface. © AFP - Handout/Marine Nationale

In a groundbreaking deep-sea discovery, archaeologists have located the wreckage of a 16th-century merchant ship more than 2.5 kilometres beneath the surface of the Mediterranean Sea – the deepest shipwreck ever found in the region.

Archaeologists believe the ship was sailing from northern Italy loaded with ceramics and metal bars before it sunk.