Archaeologists recently dived into the Mediterranean Sea to investigate the remains of a shipwreck that dates back more than 2,000 years.
The expedition to the Antikythera shipwreck, in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Greece, was announced in a press release issued on Monday by the Swiss Archaeological School in Greece (ESAG).
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Professor Lorenz E. Baumer of the University of Geneva said the remains of the Antikythera shipwreck are “without a doubt a unique shipwreck of ancient origin.”
Historians explain that the ship sank between 80 and 60 B.C., describing it as “one of the richest [ancient trade ship] It has never been found before in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
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Divers recently descended to the Antikythera shipwreck in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Greece. (© ESAG / UNIGE)
“This ship came from the eastern Mediterranean and was probably bound for Rome,” he said. “We can learn a lot from it about markets and maritime cargo in the first century B.C.”
He also said a second sunken ship had been found about 650 feet away and archaeologists were investigating whether the two ships had been sailing together. ESAG officials said in a statement that divers had found “hidden treasure” in the form of about 300 objects, including fragments of marble statues.
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The wreck was discovered in 1900 and is still being studied today. (© ESAG / UNIGE)
“The archaeological material unearthed is rich, amounting to around 300 items, including 21 marble fragments, numerous fragments of vessel hulls and other structural parts, and more than 200 pottery fragments,” the statement explained. “The marble fragments found suggest the presence of several statues, and analysis of the amphorae has revealed the presence of a large number of amphorae of a wide variety, including amphorae from the islands of Chios and Rhodes.”
The wreck site was first discovered in 1900, and since then, numerous marble statues have been recovered. In the early 20th century, a diver named Elias Stadiatis discovered the marble statues at the bottom of the wreck, and was visibly shaken by the sight, rambling that he had seen “a pile of naked corpses.”
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Fragments of marble statues were found in the wreck. (© ESAG / UNIGE)
The wreck is famous for the Antikythera Mechanism, a mechanical calculator that was recovered from the site in 1901. The Antikythera Mechanism is one of the oldest known calculating devices in the world.
Baumer told Fox News Digital that while most researchers focus on the remains of the ship, his team is trying to “understand the wreck and the wreck as a whole.”
“We hope that the pieces of wood we found will help us determine when and, hopefully, where the building was built,” Baumer said. “The building is located 45 to 70 metres below sea level, which has helped preserve it.”
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He added that the team has employed professional divers and underwater drones to better understand the wreck.
Professional divers and an underwater drone were deployed to inspect the wreck in detail. (© ESAG / UNIGE)
“Until this year, very little was known about the ship itself, mostly from planks recovered by renowned underwater researchers,” he added. “This year, for the first time, we found a small but structural part of the hull that provides important information about the ship’s construction, and which is likely still in place.”
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“If confirmed, it could tell us a lot about the location, size and preservation of the ship on the ocean floor. This work raises new questions to be investigated.”
