Archeologists have discovered a second shipwreck at the site of the Greek wreck known as the Antikythera. That site became famous for the oldest-known computer, dating back to 65 B.C. But underwater archeologist Brendan Foley of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution suspected the wreck had more to offer.
“We think if this was a grain ship, it could have created its own overburden. It could have buried the artifacts by as much as two, three, or four meters," Foley told Living Lab in April. "So we need to dig down to bedrock to determine how deep the archeological deposits are at various points around the wreck.”
Having spent the past few years creating a detailed map of the site, Foley’s team went back this spring and started the excavation process. In addition to a second shipwreck, they uncovered a wealth of new artifacts.Phys.org reports :
Led by archaeologists and technical experts from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the team recovered 60 artifacts including gold jewelry, luxury glassware, a bronze spear from a statue, elements of marble sculptures, resin/incense, ceramic decanters, and a unique artifact that may have been a defensive weapon to protect the massive ship against attacks from pirates. The team also confirmed the wreck of a second ancient cargo ship close by the Antikythera vessel.
Listen to our full conversation with Brendan Foley here.