Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. A shipwreck accidentally discovered off France's southeastern coast near Saint-Tropez appears to be a striking well-preserved 16th-century Italian merchant ship. At 8,422 feet below sea level, the vessel is likely the deepest of its kind ever found in French waters, according to the official announcement. But next to scattered ceramics, metal bars, and rigging rests what appear to be jarring reminders of modern life. Earlier this year, French military personnel noticed an odd ping while guiding an underwater drone along a routine surveying expedition. Although intended to monitor potential oceanic resources and deepsea cable routes, the equipment flagged something sizable already laying over 1.5 miles below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea.