Historic Shipwrecks Discovered Near Greek Island Reveal Ancient Cargo

Archaeologists have discovered the remnants of 10 shipwrecks off the Greek island of Kasos that together represent thousands of years of history, according to Heritage Daily. 

The ships are believed to have carried goods from Spain, Italy, and Africa, and and the coasts of Asia Minor, and the oldest dates from 3000 BCE. Also discovered were vessels from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods, as well as items that date from the Medieval era and the Ottoman Empire.

The find is the result of a four-year study that began in 2019 by National Research Foundation with assistance from the Greek Ministry of Culture. Diving teams recovered Roman ceramics, Spanish amphoras, and anchor carved from stone that dates back to Archaic Greece (c. 1200- 800 BCE). 

The over 20,000 photographs were taken of the sunken vessels will allow researchers to digitally recreate the ships for further study. 

“At the same time, the mapping and bathymetry of the Kasos-Karpathos reef and the Karpatholimnion area was carried out for the first time with the use of a side scanning sonar machine,” the Greek Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

According to The Daily Sabah, a documentary film about the shipwrecks and the research surrounding the finds is under production.