There was something about Storms, War and Shipwrecks, the new exhibition at The Ashmolean that intrigued me, dragging me down to the depths of the Sicilian Seas with its swashbuckling images of battles and pirates, sea, salt and statues.

Akin to the Mary Rose, but with more Romans and Carthagens thrown in for good measure, I wanted to know what treasures had been lost and found as well as find out about the recovery operation itself.

The reality exceeded all my expectations. Aided by an opening talk by curator Dr Paul Roberts who explained the history behind the exhibits and the difficulties the Ashmolean faced when mounting the exhibition, which involved flying around the world tracing many of the pieces themselves, and then begging to showcase them, there is a passion at the heart of this exhibition.

But more than that, Storms, War and Shipwrecks is a thoroughly interactive experience with pieces you can touch, re-enacted battles on a screen, vibrant descriptions that fire up the imagination, a broad range of recovered treasures from flat-packed churches sent by William The Conqueror, parts of a Carthagen warship, warship rams, amphoras of oil and warrior helmets to enjoy, discovered by a variety of divers, archaeologists and even fisherman over the past 60 years.

They allow you to visualise the rest of the story and understand the enormous legacy and constantly evolving reigns that Sicily has experienced.

Being introduced to pioneering divers such as Honor Frost, who practised early deepsea diving techniques by being hauled down a well at home in Wimbledon, adapting her knowledge of land excavations to be used underwater, introducing systematic archaeological techniques to chronicle and explore the ocean bed, is equally as riveting as the treasures brought up from the bottom of the deep blue seas around Sicily.

A veritable treasure trove awaits you then and with a family trail Storms, War and Shipworms for children over the age of 5, the entire family is catered for. Look out for the scheduled talks and events centred around the exhibition over the next few weeks.

Storms, War and Shipwrecks: Treasures From The Sicilian Seas. Until Sept 25. Ashmolean.org/storms

Katherine MacAlister 5/5