A large thematic map introduces visitors to the rich mineral deposits of Elba Island and the Metalliferous Hills, which were fundamental to the development of metallurgy and to the settlement of the coastal area under the influence of Populonia, which also encompassed Portus Scabris.
On the left side of the room, explanatory panels describe the production process in ore furnaces used to obtain forgeable iron ingots, from which finished objects were later produced. The large map on the right illustrates the main overseas trade routes linking Populonia and ancient Portus Scabris. Ships laden with goods, fine tableware, and ore docked here to supply the iron-processing plants located on the sandy strip between the lagoon and the sea.
When Populonia and its territory came under Roman control, the plants were expanded into a true industrial district. By the end of the 1st century BC, however, with the decline of the iron industry, agriculture had become the main resource of the territory.

In this room, artefacts recovered from underwater excavations in the waters of Portiglioni illustrate the history of the ancient port over the centuries. The material is abundant and varied: objects that accidentally fell into the sea during loading and unloading operations; amphorae and tableware—such as the typical black-glazed ceramics of the late 3rd century BC and the red terra sigillata of the 1st century BC—damaged during navigation and deliberately discarded to clean the hold; fragments of glassware; and ceramics from the Middle Ages, modern times, and even the 20th century.
The exhibition, supported by explanatory panels, is arranged in chronological order, from the late 3rd century BC to the period when the port was used for activities related to the transport of pyrite, employed in the production of sulphuric acid. The pyrite was extracted from inland mines, carried by cableway to the offshore loading pier, and then shipped by sea.

The fourth room is dedicated to the organisation of space on Roman merchant ships. The panels illustrate the main structural parts, their dimensions and transport capacities, the composition of the crew, and the equipment used for navigation.
On the left side of the room is a reconstruction of a ship’s hold with its cargo: a homogeneous group of amphorae recovered from the seabed of Portus Scabris, probably produced in Campania between the late 3rd and early 2nd century BC. On the opposite side are kitchen ceramics—pots, pans, and cauldrons—originally used in the ships’ galleys, together with metal instruments that formed part of the on-board navigation equipment, such as lead sounding weights.

How does an underwater excavation take place? This room illustrates the methods of underwater archaeological investigation through a reconstruction of the excavation carried out by the Superintendency’s Underwater Operations Unit between 2000 and 2001, particularly in the area of the ancient maritime port, known as “Site B”, where the Marina di Scarlino stands today.
Also on display are finds from the earliest and best-documented phases, dating to the mid- and late Republican period (3rd–1st century BC). These provide important evidence of the port’s intense activity in antiquity, when sailors, porters, and merchants were engaged in handling iron ore and goods on board ships.
The visit concludes with a video presenting the highlights and most significant discoveries from the underwater excavation.