Emily Chan
In the waters of the Mediterranean near a Greek island, 10 shipwrecks, including one from the Roman era, have been found by a team of marine archaeologists in collaboration with the National Hellenic Research Foundation in Greece and the Ministry of Culture.
They had been exploring an area around the island of Kasos, which lies in the Aegean Sea when the discoveries were made. The goal of the project was to delve deeper into the maritime history of the Aegean region.
“This island has long been overlooked in historical narratives, and we aimed to uncover its significance in ancient maritime networks,” Xanthie Argiris, the project’s lead archaeologist, told Newsweek.
“By exploring the underwater cultural heritage of the region, we sought to reveal Kasos’ role as a crucial node along ancient trade routes, thus contributing to our understanding of the broader historical and archaeological context of the southeastern Aegean.”
Recently, evidence of 10 shipwrecks was identified, along with some artifacts from various points in time. According to Argiris, the shipwrecks date as far back as the Classical era and as late as the 19th and 20th centuries. The range of time shows that Kasos served as an important landmark for maritime activity throughout the ages.
In addition, a Roman shipwreck dating back to the second to third centuries was among the finds. The ship had been hauling a cargo of Aegean cylindrical amphorae, which were an ancient type of storage vessel.
Since the environmental conditions of the Aegean Sea are not suitable for the preservation of wood, shipwrecks are usually identified by the ceramic cargo or anchors they had been carrying instead of their wooden remains.
Out of the 10 shipwrecks, seven were ancient and did not have a preserved hull. One had a section of a wooden hull and an iron cannon from what is believed to be the 19th century. Two of the shipwrecks were more recent, containing wooden and metallic parts.
One of the more modern wrecks was a vessel possibly from the World War Two era. It was a wooden boat with metal parts and was approximately 82 to 98 feet long.
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