All articles tagged with #marine archaeology
Two divers off Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, accidentally discovered a Roman-era shipwreck buried in a mound of amphorae about 21 meters deep. The cargo includes hundreds of amphorae (mostly Dressel 1A), two large lead anchors, and a lead pipe, dating the site to the 2nd–1st centuries BCE. Italian authorities have created a 3D survey and will continue investigations, highlighting ancient Mediterranean trade routes and cultural exchanges.
Radiocarbon dating of 43 helmets recovered off Benicarló, Spain in 1990 shows they date to the late 14th to early 15th centuries, not Roman times, indicating medieval production and a complex arms-trade network along the Valencian coast—the largest known medieval helmet hoard in the western Mediterranean.
A Frontiers in Materials study of the Ilovik-Paržine 1 shipwreck shows Romans used zopissa—a pine tar and beeswax waterproof coating—applied in multiple phases, suggesting ships were regularly refurbished during voyages. Palynology tied the coating’s materials to diverse Adriatic environments, revealing a web of long-distance naval knowledge transfer around the Mediterranean.
A team has identified a shipwreck off Nantucket as the WWI-era fishing boat Seiner, which sank nearly 100 years ago with 21 men aboard, using recent dives and sonar scans to confirm its identity, providing historical closure for the families of the lost crew.
Archaeologists have uncovered new details about the 2,100-year-old Antikythera shipwreck, revealing insights into ancient Greek shipbuilding techniques and the famous Antikythera mechanism, an advanced astronomical device that modeled celestial cycles with impressive precision, showcasing the ingenuity of ancient engineering and scientific knowledge.
Archaeologists have identified a 250-year-old shipwreck in Orkney as the HMS Hind, a Royal Navy vessel turned whaling ship, which sank in 1788 near Sanday. The discovery was made after community efforts and scientific analysis, including dendrochronology, linked the wreck to historical records. The ship's timbers are now preserved at the Sanday Heritage Centre, and the find highlights the area's history of shipwrecks and maritime activity.
Explorers have discovered well-preserved artifacts, including torpedoes and a ship's bell, from the WWII-era USS DeHaven wrecked off the Solomon Islands, providing valuable historical insights into the naval battles of Iron Bottom Sound.
A section of the USS New Orleans, blown off during a WWII battle and believed lost, was discovered on the seafloor near Guadalcanal by the Ocean Exploration Trust, highlighting a remarkable story of wartime ingenuity and resilience, and providing new insights into historic naval battles.
A chance discovery of an 18th-century sunken boat near Dubrovnik's old port has been made by diver Ivan Bukelic, with further research planned to study and protect the vessel, which dates back to the late 1700s.
Archaeologists discovered 140,000-year-old Homo erectus fossils and thousands of other species beneath the ocean off Indonesia, revealing a once-thriving landmass called Sundaland and providing new insights into early human migration and environment in Southeast Asia.
Marine archaeologists have discovered a Civil War-era cemetery on a submerged island off the coast of Florida. The island, which once held a quarantine hospital and cemetery for those stationed at Fort Jefferson, was discovered by a maritime archaeologist in 2016. The site was finally surveyed in August 2022, revealing intact grave markers, including one for John Greer, a laborer at the fort who died in 1861. The archaeologists plan to leave the site undisturbed and undisclosed to protect cultural resources and marine wildlife.