Discovered in 1999. Sank 64-68 AD with amphorae of garum and Nero's lead ingots. UNESCO Good Practices Register 2017, renewed 2025-2029. International model for managing an archaeological site without removing finds from their original position.
The Bou Ferrer is a Roman merchant ship that sank approximately 2,000 years ago off the coast of the Valencian Community. At more than 30 meters in length, it is one of the best-preserved Roman ships in the western Mediterranean. In its hold rests a cargo of fish sauce amphorae containing remnants of garum and salted fish, as well as lead ingots. Its research is conducted by the Centre of Underwater Archaeology in Cartagena.
Discovered in 1999 by local divers Antoine Bou and José Ferrer off Villajoyosa, it sank between 64 and 68 AD carrying thousands of amphorae and large lead ingots bearing marks identifying them as the personal property of Emperor Nero. In 2017 UNESCO included the project in the Register of Good Practices for Underwater Cultural Heritage, and in 2025 renewed that recognition until 2029, making it an international model for how to manage an underwater archaeological site with citizen participation and without extracting the wreck from its original position.