Unearthing the Deep: How OceanX’s Young Explorers Helped Preserve an Ancient Amphora

In the summer of 2022, university students aboard the OceanXplorer made a discovery that bridged thousands of years of human history. While piloting a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) 3,510 meters below the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Malta, participants in OceanX’s Young Explorers program spotted the unmistakable shape of an ancient amphora resting on the seafloor. 

The amphora, a clay vessel once used to carry goods like oil and wine across ancient Mediterranean trade routes, was found entirely by chance. Yet its discovery revealed how curiosity and science can work together to preserve the past while shaping the future. 

The students’ excitement quickly turned to responsibility. OceanX’s crew followed UNESCO guidelines to document the site and immediately alerted Maltese authorities. Then, our onboard OceanX ROV pilots stepped in to carefully recover the artifact. The amphora was transferred into a water-filled chamber aboard the OceanXplorer, replicating the deep-sea conditions it had known for centuries. By keeping it submerged, scientists prevented the fragile clay from any damage unfamiliar conditions could cause to the artifact. 

What followed was a year-long international collaboration involving OceanX, the Republic of Malta, and Heritage Malta, all working under the principles of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage. 

From Seafloor to Scholarship 

In September 2023, after a year of preservation and desalination between the collaborating entities, OceanX formally handed over the amphora to Maltese authorities during a ceremony at Fort St. Angelo, attended by Minister for National Heritage, Dr. Owen Bonnici, and representatives from OceanX, Heritage Malta, and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. 

The artifact was then transferred to the University of Malta, where archaeologists will study it to uncover its origin, age, and role in the maritime seaways of Late Antiquity.  

“The handing over of the amphora by OceanX to Malta is an excellent example of best practice in the area of underwater cultural heritage and its management,” said Dr. Timmy Gambin, Professor of Maritime Archaeology at the University of Malta. “This object will now be available for students and experts to study so as to continue to shed light on the maritime past of the ancient Mediterranean.” 

This handover is more than an exchange of artifacts: It is a model for how non-governmental research institutions can collaborate with national authorities to uphold cultural integrity. It embodies the principle that exploration should not only expand knowledge but also strengthen trust, transparency, and shared stewardship of the ocean between communities and cultures. 

“OceanX holds itself to high ethical standards and internationally recognized best practices related to the collection, preservation, and rightful ownership of historically significant artifacts,” said Dr. Vincent Pieribone, OceanX’s Co-CEO and Chief Science Officer. “We are grateful for the collaboration and guidance of Heritage Malta to help us deliver the amphora to its appropriate jurisdiction with care.” 

This One Artifact Is As Important As a Shipwreck

Science Guiding a Sustainable Future 

At its core, the amphora’s discovery demonstrates how science and research can inform and inspire both our past and our path forward, revealing the modern potential for sustainable cohabitation, economic opportunity, and shared prosperity between people and the planet. 

Through programs like Young Explorers, OceanX is cultivating a generation of innovators and scientists who see the ocean not as a frontier to extract from or to be daunted by, but as a living system that sustains life, commerce, and climate. These students are learning to explore responsibly, respect the ocean’s history, and imagine our planet’s future buoyed by a sustainable ocean.

The amphora’s journey from deep sea discovery by students to a university lab of maritime archaeologists is a lesson in conservation, discovery guided by diplomacy, and education anchored in ethics. It symbolizes how, when we work together, science becomes a bridge between our history and the future we strive for.