It has now been confirmed that the remains of a 2700-year-old Phoenician shipwreck, that has laid just off the beach of Playa de la Isla in Puerto de Mazarron since 700 BC will be moved to the Arqua museum in Mazarron where it will be restored.

Archaeologists who have been monitoring the condition of the wreck for the last two years, made the decision, in conjunction with the local Town Hall, the national and regional governments, although the exact details of how the remains of the boat be moved are yet to be determined.

The wreck, said to be a trading vessel, measures 8.15 metres in length and 2.25 metres in width. The boat was built using cypress, pine, olive and fig tree wood, and it was discovered in the 1990s when a storm disturbed the sand on the seabed under which it had previously been concealed.

It is believed that when it sank approximately 2,700 years ago the boat was carrying a cargo of lead ingots weighing 2,820 kilos. It was thought to be meeting a larger vessel in deeper waters to transfer the load.