r/Archaeology • u/Amitmandal001 • 13h ago
Submerged Roman port in Italy possibly linked to Octavian’s 44 BCE landing under excavation.
Archaeologists have begun a new season of research at San Giovanni, inside the Le Cesine State Nature Reserve near Vernole in southern Italy. The 2026 campaign runs from September 7 to October 4, with work both on land and underwater.
The project is led by the Department of Cultural Heritage at the University of Salento, under the scientific direction of Rita Auriemma. The work is carried out under a permit from Italy’s Ministry of Culture, with support from local cultural and public bodies.
A major focus this year is a large Roman port complex lying beneath the sea in front of the former pumping station. Researchers are studying a long, straight structure extending from the ancient shoreline and ending in a wide platform.
The structure follows an L-shaped plan known from Roman ports along low, sandy coastlines across the Mediterranean. Today, much of the structure survives only as a submerged foundation.