Ancient shipwreck found with 300 empty wine jars

TIRANA, Albania - A US-Albanian archaeological mission says it has found the well-preserved wreck of a Roman cargo ship complete with some 300 — empty, alas — wine jars off Albania's coast.

The 30-yard long wreck dates to the 1st century B.C. and its cargo is believed to have been the produce of southern Albanian vineyards, en route to western European markets.

A statement Monday from the Key West, Florida-based RPM Nautical Foundation said the find was made near the port city of Vlora, 87 miles southwest of the capital Tirana in late July.

The foundation, in cooperation with Albanian archaeologists, has been surveying a swathe of Albania's previously unexplored coastal waters for the past five years. So far, experts have located 20 shipwrecks.