Working at this site has required the development and use of specialized techniques and equipment that are unprecedented in the field of marine archaeology. The site is also near steep underwater cliffs, and the wreck lies at an angle that makes it hard for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to survey with sonar. The wreck is too deep for SCUBA divers, yet too shallow to use a human-occupied submersible or a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which both require a large ship and deep, open water for safety and maneuverability. The Antikythera Mechanism alone has changed our views of the limits of ancient technology, since it predates anything else approaching its level of sophistication by more than one thousand years.ĭespite the wealth and diversity of discoveries at Antikythera, the wreck site has remained largely unexplored, partly because of its location and the shape of the seafloor on which it rests. The artifacts recovered from the Antikythera Wreck make it one of the most important finds in modern archaeology. The Antikythera Mechanism is believed to be an early computer used to plan important events including religious rituals, the early Olympic games, and agricultural activities. The most surprising discovery, however, was an unassuming lump of bronze recovered during the first excavation that was later found to be a complex set of interlocking gears capable of predicting the movement of the sun, moon, and several planets, as well as the timing of solar and lunar eclipses years into the future. His television program "Diving for Roman Plunder" popularized the wreck for a new generation. His team recovered hundreds more artifacts plus the remains of four people. More than 70 years later, Jacques Cousteau was invited to explore the wreck. These included three life-size marble horses, jewelry, coins, glassware, and hundreds of works of art, including a seven-foot-tall "colossus" statue of Herakles. That excavation revealed a wealth of discoveries that today are housed in Greece's National Archaeological Museum in Athens. In November of the same year, the captain of the sponge boat informed Greek officials about what they had found and the navy dispatched two ships to support recovery efforts, which lasted until 1902. One of the divers discovered the wreck at depths reported between 40 and 50 meters. The wreck was discovered in the spring of 1900 by a group of Greek sponge divers on their way to Tunisia who took shelter from a storm near the island and decided to look for sponges while they waited for calmer conditions. It is located on the east side of the Greek island of Antikythera near Crete at the crossroads of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. The site of the Antikythera Wreck holds the remains of a Greek trading or cargo ship dating from the First Century, BCE. Other Expeditions Highlighting WHOI Research.Expedition to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.How do polynyas help feed emperor penguins?.Why is pressure different in the ocean?.What’s the difference between climate and weather?.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |