In this exhibition we dived into the past and discovered the extraordinary story of the island at the crossroads of the Mediterranean through spectacular finds rescued from the sea by underwater archaeologists.
For 2500 years, Sicily was the place where the great powers of the ancient and medieval eras met and fought. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans battled for control, with many of their ships sinking off the island’s rocky shores. Sicily’s azure waters have since become a focus for underwater exploration and dozens of shipwrecks have been recovered.
We were immersed in the world of the underwater archaeologist and explored the multicultural history of Sicily revealed through stunning and unusual artefacts brought up from the depths of the sea.
The exhibition was open at the Ashmolean Museum 21 June – 25 September 2016.
