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Bronze Arm Found in Famous Shipwreck Points to More Treasure Below
NYT ^ | OCT. 5, 2017 | NICHOLAS ST. FLEUR

Posted on 10/06/2017 7:05:39 AM PDT by BenLurkin

A bronze statue’s orphaned arm. A corroded disc adorned with a bull. Preserved wooden planks. These are among the latest treasures that date back to the dawn of the Roman Empire, discovered amid the ruins of the Antikythera shipwreck, a sunken bounty off the coast of a tiny island in Greece.

Marine archaeologists working on a project called Return to Antikythera announced these findings on Wednesday from their most recent excavation of the roughly 2,000-year-old wreck, which was first discovered 115 years ago. They said the haul hints at the existence of at least seven more bronze sculptures still buried beneath the seafloor. Bronze sculptures from that era are rare because they were often melted down to make swords, shields and other items. Only about 50 intact examples have survived, so if the team can salvage the submerged statues, it would be a remarkable recovery of ancient artifacts.

...

The ship that carried the treasures of Antikythera was something like an ancient supertanker or luxury liner that carried grain and artwork for trading in the Mediterranean, including marble and bronze statues being shipped to the richest of the rich, according to Dr. Foley. The site thus provides a peek not just into the lives of the elite, but also into the blooming global and urban society at the beginning of the Roman Empire.

“We’re looking at the biggest ancient ship ever investigated by underwater archaeologists,” said Dr. Foley.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: ancientnavigation; antikythera; antikytheramechanism; ggg; godsgravesglyphs; greece; rome; shipwreck

1 posted on 10/06/2017 7:05:39 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: All

You want to see something fascinating watch The History Channels look at the Antikythera Mechanism.


2 posted on 10/06/2017 7:14:02 AM PDT by gibsonguy
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To: BenLurkin

Time references do not line up.

Writer mentions a “roughly 2,000-year-old wreck”, yet references twice in the excerpt to the ‘dawn’ or ‘beginning’ of the Roman Empire.


3 posted on 10/06/2017 7:24:07 AM PDT by Hostage (Article V)
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To: Hostage

The Empire began with Augustus Caesar.


4 posted on 10/06/2017 7:25:16 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: Hostage

Maybe confusing ‘ancient Rome’ which grew into a republic, which then became the Roman Empire (Imperial Rome), which did indeed begin about 2000 years ago?


5 posted on 10/06/2017 7:30:03 AM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: BenLurkin

Since one government or another will claim title to whatever is found, there is not a lot of motivation to spend the kind of money it would take to excavate the site.


6 posted on 10/06/2017 7:40:15 AM PDT by JimRed ( TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: BenLurkin
The evidence!


7 posted on 10/06/2017 7:43:35 AM PDT by Bon of Babble (In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida, Baby!!)
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To: Bon of Babble

Somebody pulled its finger.


8 posted on 10/06/2017 7:55:07 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: gibsonguy
You want to see something really fascinating, a guy on YouTube is reproducing the Antikythera Mechanism using the same ancient techniques.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML4tw_UzqZE&list=PLZioPDnFPNsHnyxfygxA0to4RXv4_jDU2

9 posted on 10/06/2017 8:17:56 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: Yo-Yo
Amen to that! Got to see a reproduction of what they knew it to be (at least as of 2002) in the NAWCC Museum... Totally cool!


10 posted on 10/06/2017 8:21:21 AM PDT by SparkyBass
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To: jjotto; BenLurkin

Quite right, the both of you!

Need more coffee.


11 posted on 10/06/2017 8:50:41 AM PDT by Hostage (Article V)
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To: Bon of Babble

Thanks for posting this. Very cool.

(I didn’t want to click on NYT link.)


12 posted on 10/06/2017 8:58:34 AM PDT by generally ( Don't be stupid. We have politicians for that.)
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To: Yo-Yo

What is a marvel to me is that they could get all those hand-cut gears to mesh without jamming. One mistake anywhere in all those cuts and it was Game Over.


13 posted on 10/06/2017 9:29:36 AM PDT by Oatka
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To: Bon of Babble

Why did you post a picture of Hugh Hefner’s hand?


14 posted on 10/06/2017 9:32:30 AM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: BenLurkin
Here it is, pointing: Image and video hosting by TinyPic >>>>>>>>>>>>Treasure
15 posted on 10/06/2017 1:31:09 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
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To: tumblindice

Awesome!

That certainly applies to the crew of that ship!


16 posted on 10/06/2017 3:11:31 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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This topic was posted 10/6/2017, thanks BenLurkin.

17 posted on 02/27/2022 10:01:16 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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