Roman Helmet Recovered from Sicilian Seabed Reveals Secrets of the First Punic War!
Archaeologists have made an extraordinary discovery off the coast of Sicily’s Egadi Islands: a remarkably well-preserved Roman bronze helmet, thought to date back to the First Punic War. The helmet, recovered last August, is a Montefortino type with its cheek guards still intact, an astonishing state of preservation after more than two thousand years beneath the waves.
The find comes from the site of the Battle of the Aegates, fought on 10 March 241 BCE. This clash brought an end to the First Punic War, a gruelling 23-year struggle between Rome and Carthage for dominance in the western Mediterranean. Rome’s decisive victory forced Carthage to surrender, hand over Sicily, and pay heavy reparations. It marked a turning point in Mediterranean history, as Rome began its rise to empire.
The Montefortino helmet, used from the 4th century BCE through to the early Imperial era, was designed for practicality and mass production. With its rounded bronze bowl, central knob, flared rim and neck guard, it was both functional and robust. While fragments of such helmets have often been found, complete examples with cheek pieces intact are exceedingly rare, making this recovery especially significant.
Photo Credit: Sicily’s Superintendency of the Sea
This helmet is just one part of a much larger project overseen by Sicily’s Superintendency of the Sea. For more than 15 years, teams of archaeologists, divers and international partners have been surveying the seabed around the Egadi Islands. Their work has brought to light a stunning collection of artefacts, including:
Over 30 helmets
27 bronze naval rams, once mounted on the prows of warships
Swords, spears and javelins
Pottery and coins
Together, these objects form an unparalleled record of the First Punic War’s climactic battle.
Modern imaging techniques are also adding new layers of knowledge. CT scans carried out in Trapani have uncovered the shapes of weapons still encrusted in seabed deposits, without damaging their surfaces. Conservation work has even revealed inscriptions, such as the name of Roman official Servius Sulpicius on a naval ram, rare evidence of the war’s administrative and military structures.
The seabed is not only a witness to the Punic Wars but also to centuries of trade and conflict that followed. From a 5th-century CE shipwreck, known as the “fish shoal,” divers recently recovered a large bronze handle, proof that these waters remained busy crossroads long after Rome and Carthage had fought for supremacy.
Experts note that the Egadi helmet is one of the most complete Montefortino examples ever discovered, its survival a testament to Sicily’s unique marine environment. More than an archaeological treasure, it provides a tangible connection to the soldiers who fought in a battle that shaped the ancient world.
These discoveries highlight Sicily’s vital role as guardian of Mediterranean heritage. Thanks to collaboration with the RPM Nautical Foundation and private supporters, the Egadi seabed has become one of the world’s most important underwater archaeological sites, a place where history, once lost to the sea, is being carefully brought back to light.