From the middle of the second millennium BC, the Phoenicians undertook seaborne traffic from their mainland cities on the coast of modern-day Lebanon; their far-reaching trade routes spanned from the British Isles to Mesopotamia.

[2][3] Sometime after 1000 BC, Phoenician traders colonized the Maltese islands that were conveniently located at the center of the Mediterranean between Europe and North Africa.

[5][8] Punic influence remained on the Maltese islands during the early Roman era, as demonstrated by the famous second century BC Cippi of Melqart that were pivotal in deciphering the Phoenician language.

The team detected sonar anomalies at a depth of 110 meters (360 ft), prompting further investigation that led to the discovery of a sunken Phoenician trade ship with its well-preserved cargo dating to the seventh century BC.

[14] The ship remains and its upper layer of cargo lay exposed 1 meter (3.3 ft) above a relatively flat seabed of coarse sand; it consists of quern-stones and earthenware containers used to transport wine, olive oil, and other consumables.

To facilitate artifact surfacing, a mooring dead weight was sunk to anchor the researcher's ship close to the shipwreck site.