To visit this museum, you’ll need scuba gear. It’s underwater!

Buried beneath Albania’s coastal waters are hundreds of Roman and Greek artifacts. They lodged there when ancient ships sank. What a treasure trove! But archaeologists send out a warning: The secret is out. The treasure is not safe. Looters could come steal it!

Until now, Albanian officials weren’t too worried about keeping ancient artifacts safe. Albania is a small country in Europe on the Adriatic Sea. You’ll find it surrounded by ancient biblical lands like Greece, Macedonia, and what used to be the Roman Empire. For a lot of history, warring peoples have lived in Albania. In modern times, communist governments ruled the country for nearly 50 years. In 1967, Albania banned all religious freedom and was declared an atheist state. The ban remained in effect until 1990 when the communist government was dissolved.

For years, communist governments in Albania had ignored the country’s ancient offshore treasure. Only in recent years have people had the time and resources to dig into it.Some artifacts found off Albania’s coast are as old as the 3rd or 4th century B.C. Others come from times as recent as World War II. The treasure includes 22 shipwrecks. Researchers found hundreds of ancient amphorae too. Amphorae are tall jars. Each has two handles and a neck. They were used along shipping trade routes to hold goods. Now fish swim in and out of them!