Halcyon Partners With SDSS to Explore Ancient Naval Battle Sites

Text and Photos By Jenn Thomson

At Halcyon Dive Systems, we believe in both the power of collaboration and in increasing our knowledge of the underwater world, regardless of the discipline. To that end, we are proud to sponsor the Society for Documentation of Submerged Sites (SDSS), a non-profit whose goal is to protect and research “environmental submerged heritage” in all forms—be they historical, cultural, and/or biological.

SDSS spearheads many campaigns and projects throughout the year. One upcoming initiative (a month-long project starting in August 2025) will investigate the site of a pivotal naval battle that marked the Roman Republic’s victory over Carthage—the Battle of the Egadi. The discovery of this landscape is the first time an ancient naval battle has been located together with associated artifacts. 

BATTLE OF THE EGADI FACTFILE

·       Location: 8 km/5 mi from the shore of Levanz island, Favignana, Sicily, Italy

·       War: First Punic War

·       Sides: Final clash fought between the Roman and Carthaginian fleets, ending a 23-year campaign

·       Numbers: +500 boats and +100,000 warriors

·       Dates: 10 March, 241 BC

More information: https://sdss.blue/egadi/ and social media: @sdss.blue

The archaeological area in question is a 10 km2 /3.86 mi2 debris field at a depth of 84 m/275 ft. First discovered in 2010, it constituted one of the most significant archaeological developments of the century. Five years of prior exploratory work—by archaeologists of the Soprintendenza del Mare of Sicily, Professor Sebastiano Tusa, and Tusa’s research team at the RPM Nautical Foundation—made this find even more rewarding.

GUE – SDSS joined the team in 2017, collaborating with RPM’s team to expand ROV capabilities. The technical divers and their associated equipment continue to provide invaluable contributions to multiple campaigns in support of this project. With direct access to the debris field, these divers  have performed multiple tasks efficiently, including cautiously retrieving small and delicate artifacts, documenting, and dredging when required.

Throughout the years, the search has proven fruitful; divers have found and retrieved artifacts such as rams, amphoras, helmets, weapons, personal materials, and coins. After divers return these to the surface, a team of archaeologists preserves, documents, and cleans specific materials for future public viewing and preservation.

Warship rams have been among the most significant findings during this project—and lifting, preserving, and displaying them (at the Ex Stabilimento Florio Delle Tonnare Di Favignana E Formica, a local museum) are no small feats. Cast in bronze and placed on the bows of warships, naval rams were used as pivotal weapons in ancient battles due to their ability to ram and sink enemy vessels. Year after year, discoveries like these continue to shed light on naval ship constructions, battle dynamics, and military materials of the period.

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Halcyon is proud to support this type of project diving by providing specially designed wings, lights, gear bags, changing mats, and towels to the SDSS team, thereby ensuring they have the best gear for the task in hand. SUEX DPVs are also invaluable tools for this project, both for the deeper tech divers as well as  shallower support divers (who ferry stages, cameras, scientific equipment, and smaller artifacts back to the boat quickly during each dive).

This partnership with SDSS aligns perfectly with the values of Halcyon Dive Systems. We're not just about diving; we're about making a positive impact on our oceans and their wider historical importance. By providing the necessary equipment to support these underwater archaeological campaigns, we're playing our part in a larger global effort to increase our understanding of ancient naval battles, ensuring these slices of cultural significance become public knowledge and are not forgotten.

To everyone at SDSS, we salute your dedication and hard work. And to our wonderful dive community, we encourage you to support initiatives like these by donating, volunteering, or simply spreading the word.