Posted on 07/28/2008 7:14:39 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
An ancient Greek trading ship that had lain on the seabed off the coast of Gela in southern Sicily for 2,500 years was brought to the surface for the first time on Monday. The ancient Greek vessel is 21 metres long and 6.5 metres wide, making it by far the biggest of its kind ever discovered. Four Greek vessels found off the coasts of Israel, Cyprus and France are at most 15 metres long.
The one in Gela is also of particular value for scholars who will be able to delve into Greek naval construction techniques thanks to the amazing find of still-intact hemp ropes used to 'sew' together the pine planks in its hull - a technique described in Homer's Iliad...
The campaign to bring the vessel to the surface began shortly after two scuba divers located it by chance in 1988...
The bow of the ship, along with an astounding array of amphorae, drinking cups, oil lamps and woven baskets, were brought to the surface in 2003. On Monday coastguards and experts from the Caltanissetta culture department salvaged the rest of the vessel using a boat equipped with a crane able to lift loads of up to 200 tonnes...
The pieces of the ship will be kept immersed in tanks full of the protective chemical polyethylene glycol before being transported to Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, where experts at the Mary Rose Archaeological Services will conserve and reconstruct the vessel. The culture department says it eventually plans to build a sea museum in Gela with the ship as the key exhibit.
Antinoro said Sicily's regional government was meanwhile raising the funds to recover another ship discovered near the ancient Greek vessel ''in the next few months''.
(Excerpt) Read more at ansa.it ...
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I blame NAFTA.
Most ships I know fish from the sea, unless they are on a lake.
It sure beats fishing from the mountains.
Cheers!
Wormproofed, or what? Not too many wooden ships go undigested in the Mediterranean.
I didn’t check the depth, but if from the anoxia level, wood can last thousands of years. :’)
That is a great graphic. but it is clearly a warship, not a merchant vessel.
/rimshot!
okay, so, everyone on FR seems to be feelin’ their oats today...
Greek treasures ping
I always wondered were my pros, pros, pros etc, etc papoulis lost that ship!
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