Cyprus Divers to Dig Out Ancient Ship
- From: "Peter Jason" <pj@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:20:31 +1100
By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS ? 4 days ago
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) ? Marine archaeologists
will begin work in June to uncover the
sand-buried hull of a 2,300-year-old ship
thought to have been ferrying wine when it
sank off the coast of Cyprus, researchers
said Thursday.
The ship, dating from the fourth century
B.C., is one of only a few to have been found
so well-preserved, and it may shed light on
the nautical and economic history of the
period in the east Mediterranean, said Stella
Demesticha, a University of Cyprus visiting
marine archaeologist.
Underwater photographs from initial surveying
dives in November show dozens of amphorae ?
large terra-cotta vases used in antiquity to
transport liquids and solid foodstuffs ?
lying on the seabed in the shape of the ship.
The ship was sought to have been transporting
wine from the Greek island of Chios when it
sank. The amphorae closely resemble others
found to contain Chios wine, but may have
been used to transport other goods in ancient
sea trade.
Demesticha said researchers believe the
vessel's wooden hull may be preserved under
tons of sand. Archaeologists have not
released the pictures, as research is still
at a preliminary stage.
Demesticha said the wreck, which rests on the
seabed 144 feet below the sea surface, is
also unique because it lies at a depth that
divers can easily reach, unlike similar
discoveries made in deeper waters.
The ship appears to be a contemporary of the
Kyrenia ship, a 50-foot merchant vessel that
another Greek Cypriot diver accidentally
discovered off the island's northern coast
more than four decades ago.
The discovery could provide further clues
into Cyprus' role in maritime trade, said
archaeologist Jonathan Adams, who is not
involved in the project.
"This could provide a more detailed picture
of trade at the time that could not be pieced
together from amphorae found on land," said
Adams, a senior lecturer at the University of
Southampton's Center for Maritime
Archaeology.
Cypriot research divers will start the next
surveying phase at the site about 1.5 miles
off the southern coastal village of Mazotos
in early June, followed by another in
October, Demesticha said.
The project is being undertaken by the
University of Cyprus' Archaeology Research
Unit and is funded by the Thetis Foundation,
a private institution that protects
underwater cultural heritage.
.
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