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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-06-11
CONTENTS
[01] Greek archaeological body approves new 5-year excavation at
Antikythera shipwreck
[01] Greek archaeological body approves new 5-year excavation at
Antikythera shipwreck
ANA - MPA -- An international archaeological expedition diving at the
site of the Antikythera shipwreck in southern Greece has received the
green light to continue its investigation in the area for the next five
years, it was announced on Friday.
The Central Archaeological Council (KAS) approved the new test excavations
which will focus on areas where a large number of pottery or metal objects
have been discovered and in places where archaeologists have discovered
evidence of one or two more shipwrecks.
The last expedition, which was launched in 2012, was a collaboration
between the Hellenic Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities and the American
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). During the first year of
the expedition, archaeologists discovered and pulled up – among other
things - a segment of an anchor and a lead joint from a Roman anchor.
In 2013, the team completed a bathymetric chart of the island and the
wreck's location to determine the possible existence of a second Roman
wreck close to the first one. During that investigation, archaeologists
pulled up an anchor, a tile and an amphora, while in 2014 the team
captured a digitized three-dimensional location of the wreck. Then they
identified and pulled up two sections of a bed decoration and a bronze
spear with a solid stem and lower tip.
The cooperation between the Ephorate and WHOI is very important because of
the latter's specialized technical infrastructure, which allows deep sea
research. The Institution also has at his disposal a new robotic diving
apparatus called the Exosuit. This enables its occupant to dive at a
depth of 300 meters without the need for decompression. The excavation
is led by Dr Angeliki Simosi, head of the Ephorate, and WHOI's marine
archaeologist Brendan Foley.
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