Over the past decade or so there have been numerous discoveries about the ancient world, many of which cannot be explained by the traditional views of prehistory as interpreted by mainstream archæologists. It would be impossible to keep abreast of them all, but many have major implications for our greater understanding of the cataclysmic events of antiquity which are remembered in the stories of Atlantis, the Deucalian flood, and the flood of Noah that have been passed down from generation to generation in both oral and written traditions since time immemorial …
Of course, there are so many ancient tales of flooded kingdoms, cataclysmic inundations and sunken lands from more or less every corner of the world, that it is difficult to avoid the basic question of whether or not they all refer to the same cataclysm, or a series of cataclysms that happened over several millennia from around 15,000 BC to around 1,500 BC? Many scientists now believe that there were a series of rapid sea-level changes which marked the abrupt end of the last Ice Age, especially at the time of Plato’s original date of 9,600 BC where he placed the supposed destruction of Atlantis.
The melting ice-sheets, it is believed by ‘uniformitarians’, were sufficient to account for these sea-level rises, but other scientists are looking at the possibility that supermassive quantities of water-ice were rudely delivered to the Earth by a giant comet which passed close to the Earth and the Moon at the end of the Pleistocene era – again at around 11,500 years ago. This ‘event’ was coeval with the world’s major mountain ranges – such as the Alps, the Andes, and the Himalayas – attaining their present elevations, whilst many of the world’s low-lying basin areas collapsed in an abrupt series of crustal deformations caused by the gravitational effects of a celestial body in such close proximity to Earth.
Many of the world’s ‘deluge traditions’ refer to a celestial agency as having been the cause of the global floods, as well as the major rifting of Earth’s crust in numerous locations, and possibly also causing a tilt in the Earth’s rotational axis which brought about the seasons and the frigid polar regions as we now know them. The mass extinctions which marked the end of the Pleistocene and the start of the present Holocene era are also dated to between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago, as are the unconsolidated jumbles of now extinct land animals, marine lifeforms, and Pleistocene flora which comprise the many types of ‘drift deposits’ found jammed with extreme force into caves and rock fissures worldwide.
Many species from widely differing climatic zones and habitats lie side-by-side in bits and pieces evidencing the violent nature of their common demise, and careful analysis of these suggest the cause as being not the Ice Age of the uniformitarians, but the tumultuous swirling waters of mega-tsunami. Either way, the major question which cannot any longer be reasonably avoided by serious prehistorical researchers must be:
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What more evidence of ancient civilisations, and of the sea-faring peoples of world-wide
mythology, remains to be discovered beneath the waves on the
continental shelves all around our planet?”
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more underwater discoveries
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Morien Institute Marine Archæology News Archive for
October 02, 2013, Popular Archaeology, USA
“The final week of the expedition at the wreck of Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR), is pulling out the big guns. Literally.
Five cannons, four weighing 2,000 pounds and one nearly 3,000 pounds, will be lifted from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean Monday, Oct. 28, weather permitting.
All the cast iron cannons fired six pound cannon balls, and will bring to 20 the cannons raised from the site.
This will be the biggest ‘catch’ of cannons recovered at one time.”
October 02, 2013, Popular Archaeology, USA
“Archaeologists are removing multiple iron cannon and other objects from underwater concretion.
They are working hard at an underwater grave of an 18th century shipwreck.
It is a delicate operation, requiring patient and methodical movement by a team of divers to extract a precious assembly of historic artifacts.
It is colloquially named ‘The Pile’, a concretion of objects that consists of a large anchor lying over seven cannon, other artifacts, and a natural encrustation that has built up over nearly 300 years.
This is the wreckage site of the famous pirate Blackbeard’s flagship Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR), just off the coast near Beaufort, North Carolina.”
August 20, 2013, IOL, South Africa
“A unique work of art that was raised from the seabed off the Dorset coast on Monday could help solve one of the great mysteries of UK marine archaeology.
The wooden masterpiece – a large sculpted moustachioed human head – formed part of the wrecked 17th-century ship’s 3.5 ton rudder.
The identity of the vessel – and the head – are currently unknown, but it is hoped that a close study of the huge rudder could ultimately prove crucial in more accurately working out the vessel’s size and port of origin.
Research, carried out on behalf of Bournemouth University’s Marine Archaeology Research Group, suggests that the ship, known as the Swash Channel Wreck, was built in Holland in 1628 or 1629 and that it sank sometime between 1630 and 1645.
Perhaps the biggest mystery of all is why it ended up at the bottom of the sea off Dorset.” [Full Story]
August 09, 2013, UPI, USA
“An intact Roman ship from the second century B.C. has been discovered off the coast of Genoa in Italy, archaeologists say.
The vessel, which contains hundreds of valuable amphorae — earthenware vessels traditionally used to transport wine — was spotted by police divers roughly one mile from the shore of Alassio in 160 feet of water, Italy’s ANSA news agency reported Friday.
Police said they have been tipped off to the whereabouts of the ship during a year-long investigation into stolen archaeological artifacts sold on the black market in northern Italy.” [Full Story]
August 01, 2013, PhysOrg, USA
“The untold story of how ancient Australians once walked a vast submerged sand plain dissected by rivers and rugged outcrops awaits discovery off WA’s north-west coast, according to a leading expert from The University of Western Australia.
Dr Ingrid Ward has spent the last eight years in the UK, where the creation of three-dimensional reconstructions of the submerged landscape of Europe’s North Sea has helped bring to life a wealth of existing and new archaeological finds and fossils, including Palaeolithic hand-axes, Mesolithic bone and antler implements, and fossil mammoth, elk and other fauna.
Yet almost nothing is known about the submerged landscapes of the southern hemisphere.
Now based at UWA, Dr Ward is confident that there are equally amazing landscapes waiting to be discovered 20km off the north-west Australian coastline and 30m below sea level around the Dampier Archipelago.”
July 26, 2013, Past Horizons, UK
“The submerged landscapes of the Australian continental shelf have an untapped potential for providing evidence of human occupation from as far back as 50,000 years ago to a more recent 6,000 year date.
New understandings about the submerged landscapes of the now drowned North-West Shelf are emerging through recent geo-archaeological studies of the Dampier Archipelago in conjunction with archaeological work on Barrow Island.
The islands of the Dampier Archipelago – named after William Dampier, an English buccaneer who visited the area in 1699 – preserves at least 30,000 years of archaeological record that reflects the change from a continental to an island environment following post-glacial sea-level rise.
The study demonstrates that archaeology is most likely to be present in deposits associated with the early phases of inundation of the Dampier Archipelago, nine to seven thousand years ago.” [Full Story]
July 25, 2013, National Geographic Daily News, USA
“A team of researchers excavating a 19th-century shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico – the deepest wreck currently under excavation in U.S. waters – has found more than they had hoped for, including two other ships that appear to have been sunk at the same time.
Artifacts such as eyeglasses, navigational equipment, and telescopes indicate that no one made it off the copper-clad ship-dubbed the ‘Monterey Shipwreck’, noted James Delgado, director of maritime heritage with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Office of Marine Sanctuaries.
‘If you were in the midst of abandoning ship and getting into a lifeboat [and trying to] navigate your way home, you would grab your navigational instruments, your telescope. Those were all lying there’, he said.
July 10, 2013, Hispanically Speaking News, Mexico
“Imagine swimming in an underwater primeval forest that nature has preserved for over 50,000 years.
Now you can if you are willing to dive 60 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, 10 miles offshore of Alabama.
Experts believe 2005’s Hurricane Katrina unveiled what had been buried under ocean sediment for centuries.
And it took some curious fishermen to discover it by questioning why there so many fishing congregating in one area.
The discovery was made in 2012 but only recently became public knowledge.
The find was confirmed when a dive team and experts from Louisiana State University took the 60 foot plunge and found a primeval cypress forest nearly one mile wide.” [Full Story]
July 08, 2013, Live Science, USA
“Scuba divers have discovered a primeval underwater forest off the coast of Alabama.
The Bald Cypress forest was buried under ocean sediments, protected in an oxygen-free environment for more than 50,000 years, but was likely uncovered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said Ben Raines, one of the first divers to explore the underwater forest and the executive director of the nonprofit Weeks Bay Foundation, which researches estuaries.
The forest contains trees so well-preserved that when they are cut, they still smell like fresh Cypress sap, Raines said.
The stumps of the Cypress trees span an area of at least 0.5 square miles (1.3 square kilometers), several miles from the coast of Mobile, Ala., and sit about 60 feet (18 meters) below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico.
Carbon isotopes (atoms of the same element that have different molecular weights) revealed that the trees were about 52,000 years old.” [Full Story]
July 03, 2013, Discovery News, USA
“A key episode of the Punic Wars has emerged from the waters near the small Sicilian island of Pantelleria as archaeologists discovered a cluster of more than 30 ancient anchors.
Found at a depth between 160 and 270 feet in Cala Levante, one of the island’s most scenic spots, the anchors date to more than 2,000 years ago.
According to Leonardo Abelli, an archaeologist from the University of Sassari, the anchors are startling evidence of the Romans and Carthaginians struggle to conquer the Mediterranean during the First Punic War (264 to 241 B.C.).” [Full Story]
June 10, 2013, American Friends of Tel Aviv University, Israel
“The shores of the Sea of Galilee, located in the North of Israel, are home to a number of significant archaeological sites. Now researchers from Tel Aviv University have found an ancient structure deep beneath the waves as well.
Researchers stumbled upon a cone-shaped monument, approximately 230 feet in diameter, 39 feet high, and weighing an estimated 60,000 tons, while conducting a geophysical survey on the southern Sea of Galilee, reports Prof. Shmulik Marco of TAU’s Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences.
Initial findings indicate that the structure was built on dry land approximately 6,000 years ago, and later submerged under the water.
Dr. Yitzhak Paz of the Antiquities Authority and Ben-Gurion University says that the site, which was recently detailed in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, resembles early burial sites in Europe and was likely built in the early Bronze Age.
He believes that there may be a connection to the nearby ancient city of Beit Yerah, the largest and most fortified city in the area.
Taking into account the height of the sand and the rate of accumulation, researchers deduced that the monument is several thousand years old.” [Full Story]
June 10, 2013, IOL, South Africa
“The ‘lost’ city of Atlantis has eluded explorers for centuries and is almost certainly the stuff of myth.
Staggeringly, though, an ancient city that is Atlantis in all but name has emerged from under the sea near Alexandria – and now the lost world of Heracleion is giving up its treasures.
Just as in the classical tale, Heracleion was once a prosperous, thriving city before it was engulfed by the sea around 1,500 years ago. It was grand enough to be mentioned by the Greek writer Herodotus, the 5th-century BC historian.
He told the fabulous story of Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in the world – she of the face that launched a thousand ships – travelling to Heracleion, then a port of ‘great wealth’, with her glamorous Trojan lover, Paris.
But no physical evidence of such a grand settlement appeared until 2001, when a group led by French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio stumbled upon some relics that led them to one of the greatest finds of the 21st century.” [Full Story]
June 07, 2013, IB Times, UK
“An ancient sunken city has been found off the Egyptian coast and its treasures uncovered by French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio.
Thonis-Heracleion, the Egyptian and Greek names for the city combined, was only known in ancient classic texts and had been almost forgotten by mankind.
June 07, 2013, Greek Reporter, Greece
“A submerged underwater archaeological site with extensive sunken architectural remains was found by the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities team at a depth of 200 to 600 m. off the Alikanas beach on northeast Zakynthos, the Ionian Sea Island, as archaiologia.gr revealed.
The team has begun exploring around the area since May 13, 2013, after an invitation made by the Municipality of Zakynthos.
The large site covers about 30,000 sq. m., something that reflects the existence of a significant ancient settlement in the Alikanas area.
It contains a visible courtyard, ancient building material and at least 20 circular column bases, with a 34 cm hollow in the center where a wooden column may have been inserted.”
[Full Story]
June 06, 2013, Popular Archaeology, USA
“More cannons and other artifacts will be raised over the next few weeks from their underwater grave off the coast of Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, the site where the infamous 18th century pirate Blackbeard ran his flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, aground over an ocean bar soon after departing from his attack on Charleston, South Carolina in May of 1718.
A dive team of 20 researchers, including staff from the Underwater Archaeology Branch of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, the North Carolina Maritime Museum, and interns from East Carolina University in Greenville, is now underway, hoping to recover a total of eight cannons and other artifacts by June 20.
Later this summer, the team will also recover artifacts from the forward section of the ship and assess the site for a potential full recovery in 2014.” [Full Story]
June 03, 2013, Reuters, USA
“Two 400-year-old warships that sank in the Pacific Ocean after being attacked by a Dutch admiral and pirates may once again see land if researchers in Peru successfully raise them.
Metal detectors and magnetometers and memoirs indicate the ships, part of a fleet that defended the Spanish crown when Peru was a colony, are some 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of the capital Lima, investigator and historian Jorge Ortiz said on Monday.
The Santa Ana and the San Francisco, carrying more than 300 men, sunk in 1615 after Dutch naval officer and pirate Joris Van Spilbergen attacked them during the Eighty Years’ War between Spain and revolting Dutch subjects.
After Peru, Van Spilbergen sailed north and launched attacks in Mexico and later the Philippines.”
[Full Story]
May 23, 2013, Austin Statesman, USA
“The massive circular structure appears to be an archaeologists dream: a recently discovered antiquity that could reveal secrets of ancient life in the Middle East and is just waiting to be excavated.
It’s thousands of years old – a conical, manmade behemoth weighing hundreds of tons, practically begging to be explored.
The problem is – it’s at the bottom of the biblical Sea of Galilee. For now, at least, Israeli researchers are left stranded on dry land, wondering what finds lurk below.
The monumental structure, made of boulders and stones with a diameter of 70 meters (230 feet), emerged from a routine sonar scan in 2003. Now archaeologists are trying to raise money to allow them access to the submerged stones.”
[Full Story]
May 13, 2013, Irish Independent, Ireland
“An ancient log-boat – which could be thousands of years old – has been discovered in the banks of the river Boyne.
An initial examination by underwater archaeologist Karl Brady suggests it could be very rare because, unlike other log-boats found here, it has oval shapes on the upper edge which could have held oars.
Mr Brady, who is an underwater archaeologist with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, believes it is made from oak and is extremely well-preserved.”
[Full Story]
May 09, 2013, Science Daily, USA
“A University of Southampton professor has carried out the most detailed analysis ever of the archaeological remains of the lost medieval town of Dunwich, dubbed ‘Britain’s Atlantis’.
Funded and supported by English Heritage, and using advanced underwater imaging techniques, the project led by Professor David Sear of Geography and Environment has produced the most accurate map to date of the town’s streets, boundaries and major buildings, and revealed new ruins on the seabed.
He comments, ‘Visibility under the water at Dunwich is very poor due to the muddy water. This has limited the exploration of the site’.
Peter Murphy, English Heritage’s coastal survey expert who is currently completing a national assessment of coastal heritage assets in England, says: ‘The loss of most of the medieval town of Dunwich over the last few hundred years – one of the most important English ports in the Middle Ages – is part of a long process that is likely to result in more losses in the future.
Everyone was surprised, though, by how much of the eroded town still survives under the sea and is identifiable’.”
[Full Story]
April 10, 2013, Yahoo News / Live Science, USA
“A giant “monumental” stone structure discovered beneath the waters of the Sea of Galilee in Israel has archaeologists puzzled as to its purpose and even how long ago it was built.
The mysterious structure is cone shaped, made of ‘unhewn basalt cobbles and boulders’, and weighs an estimated 60,000 tons the researchers said. That makes it heavier than most modern-day warships.
Rising nearly 32 feet (10 meters) high, it has a diameter of about 230 feet (70 meters). To put that in perspective, the outer stone circle of Stonehenge has a diameter just half that with its tallest stones not reaching that height.
It appears to be a giant cairn, rocks piled on top of each other.
Structures like this are known from elsewhere in the world and are sometimes used to mark burials. Researchers do not know if the newly discovered structure was used for this purpose.
The structure was first detected in the summer of 2003 during a sonar survey of the southwest portion of the sea.
April 07, 2013, Science Daily, USA
“New research into Thonis-Heracleion, a sunken port-city that served as the gateway to Egypt in the first millennium BC, will be discussed at an international conference at the University of Oxford (15-17 March).
This obligatory port of entry, known as ‘Thonis’ by the Egyptians and ‘Heracleion’ by the Greeks, was where seagoing ships probably unloaded their cargoes to have them assessed by temple officials and taxes extracted before transferring them to Egyptian ships that went upriver.
Before the foundation of Alexandria, it was one of the biggest commercial hubs in the Mediterranean because of its geographical position at the mouth of the Nile.
The conference will also explore the wider maritime trading economy during the Late Period (664 BC until 332 BC).
The first traces of Thonis-Heracleion were found 6.5 kilometres off today’s coastline by the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) under the direction of Franck Goddio in 2000.
In the ports of the city, divers and researchers are currently examining 64 Egyptian ships, dating between the eighth and second centuries BC, many of which appear to have been deliberately sunk.”
[Full Story]
April 04, 2013, Digital Journal, USA
“Archaeologists are eager to try and identify the name of an old shipwreck found off the Scottish Highlands.
Experts feel the shipwreck could potentially be 300 to 400 years old.
Archaeologists are trying to figure out the identity of an old shipwreck that was located on the sea floor near Drumbeg in Sutherland, reported Daily Record.
It is believed by researchers the wreck is the remains of a boat that sank approximately 300 years ago, and may be older.
Researchers have theorized the ship may have belonged to the Dutch East India Company, although the origin and date of the ship are still unknown.”
[Full Story]
March 18, 2013, The Guardian, UK
“Divers returning to the site of an ancient wreck off the Greek island of Antikythera have found artefacts scattered over a wide area of the steep, rocky sea floor.
These include intact pottery, the ship’s anchor and some puzzling bronze objects. The team believes that hundreds more items could be buried in the sediment nearby.
The Antikythera wreck, which dates from the first century BC, yielded a glittering haul when sponge divers discovered it at the beginning of the 20th century. Among jewellery, weapons and statues were the remains of a mysterious clockwork device, dubbed the Antikythera mechanism.
Bar a brief visit by the undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau in the 1970s (featured in his documentary Diving for Roman Plunder), no one had visited the wreck since, leading to speculation about what treasures might still be down there.
The locals told tales of giant marble statues lying beyond the sponge divers’ reach, while ancient technology geeks like me wondered whether the site might be hiding another Antikythera mechanism, or at least some clues as to whom this mysterious object belonged to.”
[Full Story]
March 15, 2013, University of Oxford, UK
“New research into Thonis-Heracleion, a sunken port-city that served as the gateway to Egypt in the first millennium BC, is being examined at an international conference at the University of Oxford.
The port city, situated 6.5 kilometres off today’s coastline, was one of the biggest commercial hubs in the Mediterranean before the founding of Alexandria.
The Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology at the University of Oxford is collaborating on the project with the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) in cooperation with Egypt’s Ministry of State for Antiquities.
This obligatory port of entry, known as ‘Thonis’ by the Egyptians and ‘Heracleion’ by the Greeks, was where seagoing ships are thought to have unloaded their cargoes to have them assessed by temple officials and taxes extracted before transferring them to Egyptian ships that went upriver.
In the ports of the city, divers and researchers are currently examining 64 Egyptian ships, dating between the eighth and second centuries BC, many of which appear to have been deliberately sunk. Researchers say the ships were found beautifully preserved, l in the mud of the sea-bed.
With 700 examples of different types of ancient anchor, the researchers believe this represents the largest nautical collection from the ancient world.”
[Full Story]
January 08, 2013, Greek Reporter, Greece
“Marine archaeologist-technician Dr Brendan Foley from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution caused quite a stir while presenting the findings of the most recent underwater archaeological survey conducted at the Antikythera Shipwreck site in Greece, during the annual meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America in Seattle last week.
Dr Foley suggested that despite common and current belief, the famous Antikythera Shipwreck could actually comprise of two ships instead of one.
Moreover, the sea floor could hold more artifacts like the unique Antikythera Mechanism that is on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens and is shrouded with mystery about its workings and possible uses.
The Antikythera wreck is a shipwreck from the 2nd quarter of the 1st century BC. It was discovered by sponge divers off Point Glyphadia on the Greek island Antikythera in the early 1900’s and ever since has interested archaeologists and oceanographers.
The wreck produced numerous statues dating back to the 4th century BC, as well as the world’s oldest known analog computer, the Antikythera Mechanism.”
[Full Story]
January 07, 2013, Science NOW, USA
“Medicinal tablets retrieved from a 2000-year-old shipwreck suggest that classical Mediterranean civilizations had sophisticated drugs.
Around 130 B.C.E., a merchant ship sank just off the coast of Italy’s Tuscany region.
The wreck was spotted in 1974 and dubbed the Relitto del Pozzino after the beach near where it was found. Archaeological excavations in 1989 and 1990 yielded glass bowls, amphoras for carrying wine, lamps, and tin and bronze vessels all likely to have come from the eastern Mediterranean.
There were also artifacts presumably contained in a wooden chest that had rotted away: wooden vials, a cup possibly used for blood-letting, and other objects likely to have been found in an ancient physician’s medical bag.
Among them was a small tin cylinder known at the time as a ‘pyxis’, that contained five tablets that were about 4 cm in diameter and had been preserved from the elements by a tight-fitting lid.”
[Full Story]
Marine Archæology Discoveries we were made aware of in 2012 are listed below
December 01, 2012, Arirang News, South Korea
“Here off the southern coast of Korea near Jindo Island, Korean archaeologists have made a significant find, one that provides a glimpse of Korea’s rich cultural history. Rare artifacts were uncovered deep on the ocean floor, perfectly preserved for centuries.
The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage recently revealed their finds to the public, with 16th-century Korean guns as the showcased centerpiece.
Over 70 fragments of pale blue-green ceramics were also found in the underwater wreckage.
Estimates date them back to the late 12th century and early 13th century during the Goryeo Dynasty.”
[Full Story]
November 08, 2012, The Conversation, Australia
“Vietnam has thousands of kilometres of coastline, and may have thousands of shipwrecks.
Many of these wrecks would be loaded with archaeologically fascinating and significant items.
But the country has struggled to preserve its underwater cultural heritage.
To date the protection and preservation of Vietnam’s underwater cultural heritage, such as shipwrecks, has had a low priority.
Vietnam has a very long coastline (more than 2,000km) and seafaring activity has been extensive for at least 2,000 years.
Vietnam is centrally located in South East Asia and was on the “Maritime Silk route” that ran from China to the west via the South China Sea.”
[Full Story]
October 06, 2012, The Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
“A grandson of Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan’s realm stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Black Sea, covering a fifth of the known world.
In 1279, he became the first non-Chinese emperor, establishing the Yuan Dynasty and ruling over China, present-day Mongolia, Korea and other Asian regions.
But his ambition to occupy more lands led to one of his worst defeats when he sent his warships to invade Vietnam in 1288.
Now, 725 years later, Australian archaeologists are helping excavate the site where the mighty Kublai Khan’s invasion fleet of 400 was destroyed by the Vietnamese.
They had lured the Mongols up the Bach Dang River just as the tide was starting to ebb.
The Vietnam army had driven hundreds of sharpened wooden stakes into the bed of the river that were invisible at high tide; when the tide turned and began to ebb, the entire fleet was holed and sunk, captured or burnt by fire arrows.”
[Full Story]
October 08, 2012, ANSAmed, Italy
“Two ancient Roman shipwrecks, complete with their cargo, have been discovered by Italian archaeologists off the coast of Turkey near the ancient Roman city of Elaiussa Sebaste.
The ships, one dating from the Roman Imperial period and the other from about the sixth century AD, have been found with cargoes of amphorae and marble, say researchers from the Italian Archaeological Mission of Rome’s University La Sapienza.”
[Full Story]
October 06, 2012, The Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
“Latest underwater excavations on the 2,350-year-old Mazotos shipwreck have established that the keel, and at least 15 metres of the ancient vessel’s planking has been preserved, the Antiquities Department said yesterday
‘This is of prime importance, as it places this wreck among the very few in the Mediterranean that can provide information on shipbuilding during the Classical period’, an announcement said.
It also said that during this year’s excavations archaeologists were also able to shed some new light on trade in antiquity, another important domain of maritime archaeology
‘Together with the Chian wine amphorae, the ship’s main cargo, a secondary type was also transported on the Mazotos ship: wine jugs, which were stowed among the amphorae found in the aft part of the hold.’
‘Furthermore, small fine ware pottery was recovered from the stern cabin, which was also partly excavated’, the department said. “
[Full Story]
October 01, 2012, VietNamNet Bridge, Viet Nam
“Over three decades ago, a scrap merchant got an ‘amazingly’ high price for a ceramic item he found on the bed of the Huong (Perfume) River in the former imperial city of Hue.
Since then, several divers joined the business of searching for antiques on the riverbed, and many precious items have been found.
Nguyen Van Can and Pham Van Thuan are among these antique seekers, and both of them have over 20 years of experience on the job.
They say the Huong River is over 100km long but the antiques are to be found on a 20km stretch in the lower reaches that run from Long Tho Hill to the Thuan An Estuary.
Different sections of this stretch hold different groups of antiques, they say.”
[Full Story]
September 14, 2012, Athens News, Greece
“Undaunted by the adversities of the economic crisis in this country, a local group of dedicated archaeological researchers continues to probe the hidden secrets and rich maritime history of the Greek seas.
During the summer the sites of six previously undocumented ancient shipwrecks were located by the Southern Euboean Gulf Survey (SEGS), under the direction of nautical archaeologist George Koutsouflakis of the Greek Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities (EUA), as first announced on July 25 by the newly consolidated Hellenic Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, Culture and Sports.
Although underwater archaeological investigations usually require larger operating budgets and greater commitments from sponsors and private benefactors than land research projects, Koutsouflakis’ continued efforts and success in learning more about ancient sea traffic and trade patterns around the coasts of southern Evia confirm the old adage that where there is a will, there is a way.
The 2012 campaign, conducted from June 25 to July 8, focused on the coastal waters of Makronissos Island and an area north of ancient Thorikos near the southern tip of Attica.
The wide Evian Straits, between Evia Island and the east coast of Attica, were an important link between the northern and southern Aegean, a major sea lane heavily used by many commercial ships, especially during the Hellenistic and Roman eras (late 4th c BC to 4th c AD).
Makronissos proved to be a particularly rich hunting ground, according to Koutsouflakis, since three of the wreck sites discovered there appear extraordinarily well preserved and may contain the actual remains of the wooden ships, themselves buried beneath their mounded, concreted cargoes of transport amphorae, the distinctive ceramic containers usually used for the bulk shipment of foodstuffs, especially wine and olive oil.”
[Full Story]
August 21, 2012, Gazzetta del Sud, Italy
“Archaeologists are investigating the discovery of a gilded bronze lion found off the coast of Calabria not far from where the famed Riace Bronzes were discovered 40 years ago.
Armour in bronze and copper was also found by a diver and two tourists in the area that is now closed to the public as investigators probe the details of the find.
One of the divers who made the discovery said there may be a ship and other important artifacts there as well.
‘When I went into the water, I saw a statue that was stuck between the rocks and a piece of the ship’, explained Bruno Bruzzaniti.
‘The tides, however, cover everything and then you must be really fortunate to be able to see other items that are still at the bottom of the sea.'” [Full Story]
August 20, 2012, The Voice of Russia, Russia
“An ancient merchant ship has been discovered under Taman Bay near the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
About 13 centuries ago, the vessel left Byzantium and then sank off Phanagoria, the largest Greek colony on the Taman peninsula.
At the time, Phanagoria was said to be the biggest economic and cultural center in the Mediterranean.
Russian archaeologists will have tougher times ahead trying to shed light on the sinking of the vessel. It is still unclear why there only one amphora was on board and what happened to the cargo.
Scientists are yet to found out the name of the ship which has already been called the most valuable artifact in 12 years.
Phanagoria had been an essential part of Byzantium for several centuries and then it became the first capital of Bulgaria and subsequently one of the largest cities of the Khazarian Empire.
Right now, one third of this ancient city is submerged by the sea, which is why many refer to Phanagoria as ‘Russian Atlantis.'” [Full Story]
August 20, 2012, TruthDive, USA
“Salvage operations started on an ancient ship, which belonged to Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) ship that sank 500 years ago on Thursday.
The ancient merchant vessel sank off the coast of southeast China’s Guangdong province.
The merchant ship was loaded with porcelain, copper coins and other rare antiques. The ship is said to have been loaded for the Philippines and Malaysia, Cui said. Guangdong was a major centre for sea trade in ancient China.
Local fishermen found the wrecked ship, 25 metres long and seven metres wide, in May 2007. It was buried in silt 27 metres underwater and about 11 km from the coast.
Experts said the salvaged antiques from the Nan’ao-1 provide sufficient evidence that the “Maritime Silk Road” once existed in the South China Sea. It was named “Nanhai No.1,” meaning South China Sea No.1.” [Full Story]
June 09, 2012, Gulf Times, Qatar
“The discovery of archaeological remains predating 8,000 years ago in the North Sea and English Channel suggest that the Arabian Gulf also has a similar potential for the favourable survival of sites or organic deposits, Qatar National Historical Environmental Record Project co-director Richard Cuttler told Gulf Times.
QNHER is being developed as part of the Remote Sensing Project, a joint initiative between the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) under the guidance of head of antiquities Faisal al-Naimi, and the University of Birmingham, where Cuttler is a research fellow.
The Arabian Gulf is a fairly shallow sea and during the Last Glacial Maximum, which occurred about 18,000 years ago, sea levels were more than 100 metres lower than today, explained Cuttler.
This meant that up until 8,000 years ago much of the Gulf was an open landscape with large lakes and a river which was formerly the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.” [Full Story]
June 05, 2012, Irish Times, Ireland
“A leading marine archaeologist has described as “absolutely incredible†some of the initial exotic findings on a shipwreck recently discovered off the west Cork coast.
South sea coconuts and Iberian pottery have so far been recovered by Julianna O’Donoghue and her underwater archaeology team from the wreck, which may have been a pirate ship dating from the late 16th or 17th century.
The uncharted vessel was located last month during archaeological monitoring of dredging for the Schull waste water treatment plant.
The monitoring is requested by the National Monuments Service underwater archaeology unit as a condition of planning and foreshore licensing.”
May 31, 2012, The Hinckley Times, England
“Divers at Stoney Cove will be able to cast a glance over a 400-year old shipwreck from next week.
The remains of the 16th century Gresham Ship will be laid to rest when it is dropped into the lake after it is driven on a low-loader up to the diving centre tomorrow.
After being discovered in the Thames in 2003, the Elizabethan vessel was moved to a lake in Hampshire where it was temporarily stored underwater.
Now, after extensive research by archaeologists, the merchantman, which could have fought in the Spanish Armada, will be laid to rest on the floor of Stoney Cove.” [Full Story]
April 14, 2012, ScienceNordic, Denmark
“Stone Age people didn’t only use tools made out of rock – they also used tools made from wood and antlers, according to a new discovery in Danish waters.
The Stone Age settlement has been hidden under water and a thick layer of sand over millennia. But over the past few years, sea currents have exposed it by pushing the seabed aside.
The village lies deep underwater by the coast in Horsens Fjord, Denmark.
Archaeologists have known about the site since the ’70s, but due to the inaccessibility, it wasn’t until a recent trip to the site by an archaeology student at Aarhus University that something started to stir.” [Full Story]
This film shows the paddles being cleaned at the Moesgård Museum
April 01, 2012, The Observer, UK
“Trawlerman Dennis Hunt was crossing Colwyn Bay in his boat in 1995 when its nets snagged on the seabed. Unable to free them, Hunt contacted diver Keith Hurley, who swam 60ft down to the sea floor – and found that the nets were caught on a rusting submarine’s conning tower.
Hunt and Hurley had found the Resurgam, one of Britain’s first submarines, which sank in 1880. It was a key historical discovery but certainly not a first for fishermen.
Every day hundreds of items, ranging from Spitfire engines to ancient stone tools, are dragged up by fishing vessels while wreck sites are revealed after nets become snagged on sunken craft.
As fishing intensifies, more discoveries are being made this way, a process that threatens to run out of control. As a result, English Heritage will launch a pilot scheme this month that aims to keep in order the avalanche of historical finds now produced by our fishermen.” [Full Story]
March 01, 2012, Latin American Herald Tribune, Venezuela
“A team of Brazilian archaeologists and divers who discovered the remains of a Spanish vessel off the southern state of Santa Catarina say the recovered fragments correspond to a shipwreck that occurred in 1583.
The recovered pieces and the documentary review indicate the wreck was a supply ship for a fleet that left Spain in 1581 on a mission to build two forts on the Strait of Magellan to stymie the advance of English pirates menacing Madrid’s territories in the New World.
Historical documents make mention of the Jan. 7, 1583 shipwreck off Brazil’s coast. The shipwreck was located in an area off the Pinheira and Sonho beaches near Florianopolis, Santa Catarina’s capital.” [Full Story]
February 10, 2012, Hawkesbury Gazette, Australia
“MORE than 3500 years ago, before it disappeared under the waves, Pavlopetri was a thriving town in Greece. It had two-storey homes, well-built streets, courtyards, tombs, and warehouses.
Today it lies beneath up to four metres of water, a fate that may have helped inspire the legend of Atlantis.
But the secrets of this lost city – the world’s oldest submerged settlement – are at last being revealed with the help of ‘revolutionary’ underwater imaging technology developed by Sydney scientists at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics.
To assist archaeologists excavating the ancient ruin, the team have used an autonomous underwater vehicle with stereo cameras, as well as a diver-pushed rig, to produce photo-realistic 3D recreations of the seafloor site.” [Full Story]
February 10, 2012, Ibiza Spotlight, Spain
“Spotlight has featured many stories of archaeological finds and remnants of ancient civilisations which have been unearthed during building projects.
The plans for the new Parador in Dalt Vila have been modified to accommodate many remains which have been found there and a new school planned on a former car park in the town centre is months behind schedule whilst archaeologists complete investigations on site.
Now, a new find has been made during the dredging process of Botafoch harbour. A 17th century ship was uncovered during the operations and already many relics – including two bronze canons – have been brought to the surface for study and eventual housing in a museum.” [Full Story]
February 09, 2012, The Atlantic Cities, USA
“The world’s oldest known underwater city lies frozen in time beneath 3 to 13 feet of water off the southern coast of Greece.
Since the ocean swallowed it around 1,000 BC, the infrastructure of Pavlopetri has remained eerily intact. Streets snake around more than a dozen buildings, courtyards and tombs built from uncut limestone and eolianite.
Archaeological dating indicates that the settlement of perhaps 500 to 2,000 souls has lain in peace this way since the Early Bronze Age in 3,000 BC, although boat anchors occasionally rake through and stir up whirlwinds of debris.” [Full Story]
February 01, 2012, The Guardian, UK
“It is one of the greatest underwater treasure troves of all time, a glittering haul of gold and silver recovered from a mysterious sunken Spanish galleon and secretly flown across the Atlantic to the US.
But now an epic battle over ownership of 594,000 gold and silver coins scattered on the ocean floor has ended with victory for the Spanish government, with the American treasure-hunter Odyssey Marine Exploration ordered to send the valuable haul back home.
A jubilant Spanish government announced on Wednesday that the $500m-worth (£308m) of gold and silver coins found at a site that Odyssey called “Black Swan” would be back on Spanish soil within 10 days.” [Full Story]
Below are some Underwater Discoveries made in 2011
January 22, 2012, The Guardian, UK
“The remains of the first HMS Victory are to be raised from the sea bed nearly 300 years after it sank, it has been reported.
The vessel, predecessor of Nelson’s famous flagship, went down in a storm off the Channel Islands in 1744, taking more than 1,000 sailors to their deaths.
Along with a bronze cannon collection, some believe the ship was carrying a large quantity of gold coins from Lisbon to Britain that would now be worth a reported £500m.” [Full Story]
January 16, 2012, The Birmingham News, USA
“A battle over historic artifacts hidden below the surface of Alabama’s rivers, lakes and bays is surfacing in advance of the opening of Legislature’s 2012 regular session on Feb. 7.
Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, has introduced a bill to amend the Alabama Cultural Resources Act, a law that requires underwater explorers to get a permit from the Alabama Historical Commission before going after submerged wrecks and relics.
In Ward’s version, the law would still require permits for recovery of artifacts related to shipwrecks and would forbid disturbing Native American burial sites. But treasure hunters would otherwise be able to search state waters and keep what they find.” [Full Story]
“A book that completetly changes the established and conventional view of prehistory by relocating the Lost Eden – the world’s 1st civilization – to SouthEast Asia. At the end of the Ice Age, SouthEast Asia formed a continent twice the size of India, which included Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia and Borneo.
The South China Sea, the Gulf of Thailand and the Java sea, which were all dry, formed the connecting parts of the continent. Geologically, this half sunken continent is the Shunda shelf or Sundaland.
He produces evidence from ethnography, archaeology, oceanography, from creation stories, myths and sagas and from linguistics and DNA analysis, to argue that this founder civilization was destroyed by a catastrophic flood, caused by a rapid rise in the sea level at the end of the last ice age.”
… exclusive
…
October 2002
Morien Institute
illustrated interview with
Professor Masaaki Kimura
of the University of the Ruykyus,
Okinawa, Japan, regarding
the discovery of:
“Jeremy Green’s systematic overview of maritime archaeology offers a step-by-step description of this fast-growing field. With new information about the use of computers and Global Positioning Systems, the second edition of this handbook shows how to extract as much information as possible from a site, how to record and document the data, and how to act ethically and responsibly with the artifacts.
Treating underwater archaeology as a discipline, the book demonstrates how archaeologists, “looters,” academics, and governments interact and how the market for archaeological artifacts creates obstacles and opportunities for these groups.
Well illustrated and comprehensive in its approach to the subject, this book provides an essential foundation for everybody interested in underwater environments, submerged land structures, and conditions created by sea level changes.”
“Some of the most exciting archaeological discoveries aren’t made by Indiana Jones wannabes prowling through the jungle in search of forgotten cities or by Egyptologists looking for lost passageways in the pyramids. They are found by divers exploring shipwrecks such as the Titanic and the U.S.S. Monitor.
Every now and then they even uncover the remains of human settlements sleeping beneath the waves. Underwater Archaeology is an inexpensive and colorful book about the people who do this work and what they sometimes bring to the surface–a great introduction to the subject. It is another fine title in the Discoveries series of books published by Harry N. Abrams.”
“This encyclopedia is the first comprehensive reference book on the discovery and recovery of underwater archaeological remains around the world and across time. Written by archaeologists and other scientists who have made the discoveries, it offers a wealth of authoritative and accessible information on shipwrecks, drowned cities, ritual deposits, and other relics of our submerged past.
The volume’s 450 alphabetically arranged entries cover sites from prehistory to the modern era (including Titanic), legislation and legal issues, organizations, nations and regions, research themes, and technology and techniques. Length generally ranges from two paragraphs for reef netting and Southampton Centre for Maritime Archaeology to about four pages for Great Lakes and remote sensing.
More than 100 illustrations in color are complemented by more than 200 black-and-white drawings and photos. Most entries append a bibliography, usually of recent books, journal articles especially from the leading journal of the discipline, International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, and professional conference papers.”
“This encyclopedia is the first comprehensive reference book on the discovery and recovery of underwater archaeological remains around the world and across time. Written by archaeologists and other scientists who have made the discoveries, it offers a wealth of authoritative and accessible information on shipwrecks, drowned cities, ritual deposits, and other relics of our submerged past.
The volume’s 450 alphabetically arranged entries cover sites from prehistory to the modern era (including Titanic), legislation and legal issues, organizations, nations and regions, research themes, and technology and techniques. Length generally ranges from two paragraphs for reef netting and Southampton Centre for Maritime Archaeology to about four pages for Great Lakes and remote sensing.
More than 100 illustrations in color are complemented by more than 200 black-and-white drawings and photos. Most entries append a bibliography, usually of recent books, journal articles especially from the leading journal of the discipline, International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, and professional conference papers.”
“This vital book is a collection on the various ways archaeologists and resource managers have devised to make available and interpret submerged cultural resources for the public, such as underwater archaeological preserves, shipwreck trails, and land-based interpretive media and literature.
The concept of preserves, parks, and trails has proven to be an effective and popular method of public education and heritage tourism with the end result being a greater public understanding of the value of preserving and protecting shipwrecks, and other submerged cultural resources, for the future.
Within each contribution, the authors focus on: legislation; economic benefits; interpretation methods; problems and successes; future directions regarding their preserve, park, or trail programs.
Various approaches to the concept have been explored and this book is an effort to make available our experiences in the management of submerged cultural resources for the public. This volume is an invaluable resource to underwater archaeologists, cultural and heritage resource managers, museum and heritage educators and those studying these professions.”
“From fundamental principles of photographing marine life to making a living selling underwater photographs, Successful Underwater Photography provides an unlimited wealth of practical advice, surefire strategies, and tested tips for taking extraordinary photos of elusive underwater subjects.
Written by two top photographers who specialize in marine photography, this solid, lavishly illustrated field guide provides no-nonsense information on such topics as taking available-light photographs, silhouettes, marine wildlife portraits, close-focus wide angle photographs, and extension tube photographs to name just a few. Readers will also find proven guidance for purchasing underwater photographic equipment, taking photos of shipwrecks, and repairing and maintaining field equipment.
“How to Solve Common Problems, Repair Images and Create Dazzling Presentations; Focusing on the aspects of digital imaging that are most important to underwater photographers, this book is a step-by-step guide for the professional and amateur alike to improve their images and presentations.
Designed to help the underwater photographer make a smooth transition to digital imaging, this book discusses how to digitally refine, correct, and enhance underwater photographs. Detailing the equipment necessary, it also includes a discussion on the essentials of
scanning. There is also extensive information on Adobe Photoshop, and how it can be used to edit underwater pictures.
Designed to help the underwater photographer make a smooth transition to digital imaging, this book discusses how to digitally refine, correct, and enhance underwater photographs. Detailing the equipment necessary, it also includes a discussion on the essentials of scanning. There is also extensive information on Adobe Photoshop, and how it can be used to edit underwater pictures.
“Readers will dive nearly 200 feet with Cemal Pulak on a royal ship that sank over 3,300 years ago off the Aegean coast of Turkey, and explore with Donny Hamilton the streets and houses of the richest English colony in the New World, the infamous pirate stronghold of Port Royal, Jamaica, swallowed by the sea in 1692.
They will accompany famed undersea explorer Robert Ballard, discoverer of the Titanic, as he and Cheryl Ward search for shipwrecks in the deep, oxygen-free waters of the Black Sea. They will wade with archaeologist Fred Hocker through mud along the bank of a South Carolina river, and then sail through a gale with Susan Womer Katzev on a full-scale replica of the best-preserved ancient Greek ship yet raised from the depths of the Mediterranean.
The book describes the tragic loss, within sight of their loved ones, of seamen returning home to Portugal in 1606, at the end of a two-year voyage to the East on the Nossa Senhora dos Martires, and then describes the fate of the crew of another Portuguese ship, the Santo Antonio de Tanna, which sank off Mombasa, Kenya, while trying to lift the siege of Fort Jesus by Omani Arabs in 1697.”
more underwater discoveries
…
Morien Institute Marine Archæology News Archive for
“Do undersea relics near Okinawa offer proof of a sophisticated civilization during the last ice age? Archeologists have long believed that civilization as we define it — intelligent, tool-making, monument building, social humans — began about 5,000 years ago. But submerged beneath the waves near the Japanese island of Yonaguni is evidence that may well overturn that long-held theory.
A small but persuasive number of scholars and scientists have long thought that “advanced” societies may have existed as long as 10,000 years ago. Their theories, however well reasoned and defended, have been hamstrung by a lack of evidence. But recent discoveries of man-made artifacts on the Pacific seafloor may well prove to be the smoking gun that will propel this alternative view of civilization to prominence”.
see the evidence with ‘unique underwater footage’ of the Yonaguni structures in the new DVD of the ‘History Channel’ television programme
