Ancient Shipwreck with Roman-Era Cargo Discovered off Greek Island of Kasos
An ancient merchant shipwreck, dating back to between 200 and 300 BCE, has been found in the Aegean Sea close to Kasos, which is part of the Dodecanese archipelago. The discovery was made by a team led by archaeologists Xanthis Argyris and Georgios Koutsouflakis, under the auspices of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities and the National Research Foundation, with funding from the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports along with private contributors. Over 100 dives were performed by a group of 23, covering 80% of the seabed over 200 hours. The ship's cargo features ceramic amphorae originating from southern Spain and Africa Proconsularis, marking the first such find in this region. The artifacts are currently undergoing analysis and will be sent to Kasos. The seabed survey is part of a three-year project running from 2019 to 2021.
Key facts
- Shipwreck discovered near Kasos island in the Aegean Sea
- Wreck dates between 200 and 300 BCE
- Mission directed by Xanthis Argyris and Georgios Koutsouflakis
- Conducted by Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities and National Research Foundation
- Funded by Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports and private sponsors
- Team of 23 scientists and technicians performed 100 dives (200 hours underwater)
- Cargo includes Dressel 20 and Africana I amphorae from Spain and North Africa
- First time amphorae from Spain and North Africa found in this area
- Artifacts currently in laboratories for analysis and cleaning
- Three other shipwrecks previously documented in the area
- Area is a historic trade route between Middle East and Europe
- Next expedition will use unmanned remote-controlled equipment
Entities
Institutions
- Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities
- National Research Foundation
- Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports
- ERT South Aegean
- Artribune
Locations
- Aegean Sea
- Kasos
- Dodecanese
- Crete
- Karpathos
- Guadalquivir
- Spain
- Africa Proconsularis
- Tunisia
- Rhodes
- Asia Minor
- Greece