Ancient wrecks found in the sea depths

Two ancient shipwrecks have been found in the waters of western Greece. The discovery, apart from being an interesting find, also challenges the opinion that in ancient times, seafaring in open waters was avoided by choosing less risky coastal routes.

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The ROV located the wrecks at depths of 1,200m and 1,400m, in the region between the island of Corfu and the Italian coast. The shipwrecks found are the deepest of the ancient Mediterranean wrecks discovered to date.

Usually similar discoveries take place at a depth of about 30-40m, therefore all the experts of the subject are surprised. It is a common belief that ancient merchant ships preferred safe coastal routes and the discoveries so far have confirmed this thesis.

A Greek oceanographic vessel collected research material from the site, using side scan sonar and an ROV designed for deep-sea exploration. It is thanks to the cameras placed on it that we can see what the find looks like. Among the wooden remains, amphorae, cutlery, anchors and ballast stones were also found. Pottery samples and a marble vase were taken from the bottom.

Deep-sea wrecks always delight explorers, as they are usually found in far better condition than those resting in shallow waters.

In a press release issued by the Greek Ministry of Culture, we can read that the wrecks were found in the area where the Greek-Italian gas pipeline is to be sunk.

Source: washingtonpost.com