Sunken remains of ancient ships carrying goods from Spain, Italy, Africa and the coasts of Asia Minor come to light
At the end of October 2023, the multi-year period was completed underwater archaeological research in its maritime area Cassow. Since 2019, the research team of the National Research Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture have carried out four research missions in areas of special interest, using archaeological and historical evidence, sources, testimonies and references to the island of Kasos, from Homer’s Iliad to modern times.
During the investigation they were discovered in total ten shipwrecks as well as significant individual foundingswhich date indicatively from prehistory (3000 BC), the Classical period (460 BC), the Hellenistic (100 BC to 100 AD) and the Roman years (200 BC). AD – 300 AD), the Byzantine period (800 – 900 AD), up to finds from the medieval and Ottoman periods.
Sunken remains ancient ships with merchandise from Spain, Italy, Africa and the coasts of Asia Minor were brought to light by an interdisciplinary team of Greek and foreign researchers and professors.
The thorough study of the material at depths of -20m. up to -47m He brought the light unique findingsincluding: a Spanish Dressel type 20 amphora with a seal on its handle dated between 150-170 AD, drinking vessels, terra sigillata type bottles, which belong to the Roman period of African origin, a stone anchor of the Archaic period , as well as other important archaeological evidence.
Finally, the remains of a shipwreck from the latest period, possibly from the World War II era, were identified. It is a wooden boat with metal elements, the size of which is estimated at 25m.-30m.
The research was completed in 2023 with the implementation of the fourth research mission between October 10 and 26, which focused on documenting the archaeological material. With modern technological equipment, more than 20,000 underwater photographs were taken, which were used to study and synthesize digital images of the wrecks and finds, providing a wealth of primary data to the international scientific community.
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.
It is worth mentioning that the underwater research in Kasos was the subject of an original film production by AORI FILMS entitled “Diving into the History of the Aegean”, available in Greek and English versions at kasosproject.com. The film has already been selected for participation in the competition section of leading international archaeological film festivals, including The Archeology Channel International Film Festival in America and Firenze Archeofilm Festival in Europe.
The assessment of the overall research, enriched with original studies by historians, archaeologists, conservators and other scientists will be the subject of a foreign language collective volume planned to be published in late 2024 by the National Research Foundation. In June 2024, it is planned to expand the research to the marine area of ​​Karpathos, which forms a single geographical entity with Kasos.
Source: Skai
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