WATCH: Israeli scuba divers rescue treasures from Roman-era shipwreck

Priceless Roman-era treasures have been found off the coast of Israel where a ship is believed to have sunk some 1,600 years ago and lay buried for centuries.

The treasure was originally found last month by two amateur divers who have since been working with the Israel Antiquities Authority to help unearth the discovery that includes bronze statues, jars and coins dating to the time of the Roman emperors Constantine and Licinius.

The authorities only made the announcement of their find on Monday when it displayed some of the objects for the first time. “These are extremely exciting finds, which apart from their extraordinary beauty, are of historical significance,” Jacob Sharvit, director of the marine archaeology unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and Dror Planer, deputy director of the unit, said in a statement.  

The ship is believed to have been a large merchant vessel that seems to have sunk during a storm.

“It took us a couple of seconds to understand what was going on,” Ofer Raanan, one of the amateur divers who first found the treasure, told the Guardian

“It was amazing. I dive here every other weekend and I’ve never found anything like that, ever,” he continued.

The Antiquities Authority has praised the finding due to the “amazing state of preservation” which makes the objects appear “as though they were cast yesterday rather than 1,600 years ago”.