The fact is, Robert Marx wasn't the first diver to discover mysterious amphorae in the water around Rio de Janeiro. According to The New York Times, two such jars were originally discovered in the bay by a diver named Jose Roberto Teixeira as early as 1976. It was Teixeira who first informed Marx of the location of the jars, which local fishermen had encountered numerous times after snagging them with their fishing nets.

But Brazilian officials make no steps to investigate the finds or amplify what the discovery might mean in terms of the nation's history. Marx argued that the next step in the excavation of the site would be to hunt for the existence of a Roman shipwreck, which would provide overwhelming evidence for his theory. But Marx's investigation went no further. In fact, he later accused the Brazilian government of taking definitive steps to suppress the presence of the jars in the bay.

Per The New York Times, Marx claimed that the Brazilian Navy had prevented him from uncovering any more artifacts by dumping boatloads of silt in Guanabara Bay, instigating a ban on diving in the area, and prohibiting the treasure hunter from reentering Brazil.

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