It proved to be the remains of a large Roman ship from the third century AD, which had been wrecked at a depth of a little more than two metres, near the beach at Marausa, one of the frazioni (hamlets) of the comune (city council) of Trapani.

The wreck was excavated and recovered in 2011 and its restoration was carried out by the "Legni e Segni della Memoria" ("Wood and Signs of Memory") society of Salerno.

[2] The double central kelson of the ship was recovered, making it possible to reconstruct the structure of the deck, which consisted of staggered off-set platforms.

[3] The soprintendenza of cultural goods of Trapani planned a project to conserve the ship and display it in Castello della Colombaia [it], which is located on an island near the site of the wreck and was being converted into a museum at the time.

[5] In September 2015, the Sicilian regional government decided to transfer the ship to the Museo archeologico Baglio Anselmi [it],[6] sparking harsh criticism from the city council of Trapani.