Nobody doubts that it is an exceptional recovery. Because of the nationality of the vessel, the load it was carrying, and for the incredible vicinity of the wreck from the shore: no more than 10 meters away! This unusual circumstance makes it easily enjoyable for the tourists. In fact, it is sufficient to put a mask on and swim just a few meters in order to admire the whole ship. The exceptional load of lead, the plating and the cannons that were hidden for centuries under the sand, are now almost entirely visible.

It was a magnificent day in the middle of September when Roberto Gentile, a man with a passion for wreckages, caught a glimpse of a strange glimmer deep down. It was sufficient to move a bit of sand to discover a strangely shaped lead ingot. He was made even more curious by the discovery of punching and letters stamped on the back of the ingot. The discovery had been made!

Together with Sergio Carioli, the owner of the hotel of Piscinas, they organized a survey of the ship. Their astonishment was great. The subaquatic Carabinieri were informed and they filmed the most beautiful images of the ship. The Superintendence organized a work place and seventy lead ingots were recovered, as well as the plating and a cannon. Sergio Carioli, who is used to such emotions, find it easy to connect the last discovery with the one made by himself some eight years before consisting of eight cannons and an anchor, which were lying on the south-west wind line some two hundred meters from the shore and seven to eight meters underwater. After a survey, they were sure: the cannons and the wreckage were on the same line and therefore belonged to the same ship. Everything begun to unwind with great enthusiasm, since everybody was aware of the importance of such a discovery. The works were co-ordinated by Dr Donatella Salvi, of the Cagliari Superintendence Office, who then informed Dr Francesco Santoni, the Chief Superintendent. In the meantime, the Minister of Arts sent an expert for the recovery of the wreckage. The Arbus Community Council very quickly arranged - strange to say ! - the financial cover for the the recovery of the load, which will be stored in a large building in the village, where a museum will be set up in order to store all the exhibits that were found in the sea from Cape Pecora to Cape Frasca. Some people also think about having a subaquatic itinerary in front of the wharf of Piscinas. If this was accomplished it would be a valuable tourist attraction.

Why was an English ship traveling off the shores of the Sardinian coast, loaded with lead? The answer seems to come from the history of the lead mines on the Island. In particular, between the end of the sixteen century and the first years of the seventeen century, the mines of Montevecchio and Ingurtosu were heavily active. An English entrepreneur, Carl Brander together with the Swedish Consul to Cagliari, Karl Gustav Mandell, were in charge of the mining concession for the whole Island which had been given by King Carlo Emanuele III in 1740. The two were also agents for another German businessman, K. von Holtzendorff, who sent expert miners and foundrymen to the Island.

This news supports the strange shape of the lead ingots, which is clearly German. The punching on the ingots is clearly English, and date back to the period when the three foreign investors where in Sardinia. Mandell set up a foundry in Villacidro, where the expert German workers smelted the galena coming from Montevecchio and Ingurtosu. It is quite unlikely that the lead was loaded in Piscinas. Probably, the material was loaded onto the ship in the ports of Sulcis, which without any doubt were more accessible, both from the sea and from the land. Therefore, the ship wrecked off shore on the Western coast in proximity of Cape Pecora, and broken in two pieces, was pushed by the current to a few meters away from Piscinas beach. Other puzzling findings include a Maltese cross, the writing ROM, a key, a rose, and the different punching on the ingots, which were certainly used like a factory stamp to indicate the place of origin or the owner of the product. These are the only traces that can help in dating the wreckage.

The data that will be obtained by the Superintendence task force will give more information about the ship. However, it is certain - if there is the need of confirmation - that the intense commerce of metal and in particular of lead, has never been interrupted since the Roman era.