The shipwreck was found at a depth of 50 metres, the ministry said in the press release, adding that this is one of the oldest completely preserved shipwrecks on the east coast of the Adriatic.
The shipwreck was discovered during joint training activities of the mine clearing divers of the Croatian Navy and the Italian Navy, which took place in the waters of the island of Hvar. The Ministry of Culture said that the location had been chosen for the underwater exercises due to previous information on potential archaeological finds in that area.
The Ministry of Defence conducted the activity in cooperation with the Conservation Department in Split, the Ministry of Culture and Media, and the University of Split, the press release said.
Once the site was located, underwater archaeologists from the Ministry of Culture and Media, Saša Denegri, and the University of Split, Tea Katunarić Kirjakov, carried out the diving activities and determined that it was a site from the 3rd century BC.
Future archaeological research will determine the exact context, area and characteristics of the locality, based on which plans will be made for its protection, conservation and presentation, the ministry said.