Underwater archaeologists find Hercules under the sea

Underwater archaeologists excavate giant heads and human teeth from a mysterious shipwreck in Antikythera, Greece.

Halfway between Crete and mainland Greece, Antikythera He continues to reveal his secrets. More than a century ago, local divers discovered a Shipwreck on this island. The discovery occurred while they were immersed in marine waters in search of natural sponges. The site turned out to be One of the most curious For underwater archaeologists. Since then the scientific community has fascinated and revived the interest of the Greek population in it marine archeology.

“It is very exciting to be involved in this important excavation project that began 120 years ago,” says Dr. Elisa Costa, a researcher at the University of Venice. “It’s really cool.”

team belongs to The Swiss School of Archeology in Greece Uncover a new discovery Last Wednesday, June 29th. This discovery may be the key to unlocking the mysteries the site still holds. Among the artifacts salvaged from the seabed, there are Marble statues and human teeth.

Hercules emerges from the bottom of the sea

Among the things removed over the yearsThere are many bronze and marble statues that represent Greek gods. Some of these artworks predate the sinking by centuries, which is estimated to have occurred around 60 BC. It is expected that The ship was carrying Greek treasures It was ransacked by Roman forces who crashed into the island’s cliff on their way back to Italy.

One of the most famous is the one that shows Hercules triumphant and relieved. the sculpture that was He recovered from the bottom of the sea without a head, seems to have recovered it in this new discovery. When the carved marble head receives the necessary preservation process, Can be integrated into the rest of the statueAnd the Found more than a hundred years ago. Prior to this discovery, the exact place the piece came from was unknown.

New information about the crew

The latest notable results of this campaign are human teeth. These are especially important to our understanding of the people on the ship that crashed in Antikythera. Thanks to the information in organic residue, We can learn more about it Age, diet and lifestyle of the Romans at that time.

The more data and objects recovered from the Antikythera shipwreck, the better we can learn about the peoples who inhabited the Mediterranean more than two thousand years ago.

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