The bronzes were found in the Ionian Sea on 16 August 1972 by Stefano Mariottini. He was on a scuba diving vacation near Reggio Calabria, Italy. The sculptures were found not far from shore at Riace Marina, a village near Porto Foricchio. The area was on an important shipping lane between the ports of Rome and the coastal cities of Greece. The bronzes may have been in an ancient shipwreck. They were either ripped from their moorings or thrown overboard to lighten the load.