In the world of exploration and archaeology contradictions and controversy abound and the great debate is about to heat up once again as an advanced dive team prepares to make another dive on the 2nd Century B.C. Shipwreck. The ancient Greek Antikythera wreck in the Agean Sea produced a highly controversial “out-of-place-artifact” debate by giving the world a look at the possible sophistication of ancient mankind with the discovery of a 2200 year old astrological computer hidden within this historic shipwreck.
The Antikythera mechanism is an ancient analog computer designed to predict astronomical positions and eclipses. It was recovered in 1900–01 from the Antikythera wreck, a shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera. The instrument has been designed and constructed by Greek scientists and dated between 150 to 100 BC. Technological artifacts approaching its complexity and workmanship did not appear again until the 14th century, when mechanical astronomical clocks began to be built in Western Europe.
The so-called Antikythera Mechanism, a 2nd-century BC device known as the world’s oldest computer, was discovered by sponge divers in 1900 off a remote Greek island in the Aegean.
The highly complex mechanism of up to 40 bronze cogs and gears was used by the ancient Greeks to track the cycles of the solar system. It took another 1,500 years for an astrological clock of similar sophistication to be made in Europe.
Now archaeologists returning to the wreck will be able to use a new diving suit which will allow them to more than double the depth they can dive at, and stay safely at the bottom for longer.
(Phys.org) —Marine archeologists with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture research program (with support from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) are planning to explore the ancient Greek Antikythera wreck in the Agean Sea, using an exosuit developed by Nuytco Research—originally for use in helping workers in New York’s water treatment facilities. The iron-man looking exosuit allows a diver to descend to 1000 feet for hours at a time without need for decompressing upon returning to the surface.
The Antikythera was discovered by divers in 1900—attempts to explore the wreck resulted in recovery of many artifacts, mostly famously, one that is known as the Antikythera mechanism—now referred to as the world’s oldest computer. But it also led to injury and death due to the extreme depth (120 meters). Subsequent attempts more recently have led to more discoveries, but time constraints have prevented a thorough study of the wreck. Wearing the exosuit, the researchers hope will not only allow for mapping the wreck, but for discovery of more artifacts, some perhaps as interesting as the Antikythera mechanism.
Deep water exploration technologies like these shown in this article are changing the world of underwater exploration. Now divers can literally go to deeper depths and stay underwater for over 100 hours if necessary. The depths are getting deeper and deeper as technological advances are made and the more mankind explore the deep, the more strange creatures we keep discovering.
The need for the Exosuit for this dive is to give the exploration team more time to work underwater.
The suit, which resembles a puffy space suit, “expands our capabilities”, Theodoulou told AFP as the team set off for a month-long expedition to Antikythera, which lies between Crete and the Peloponnese.
“I’ll be able to grasp, pluck, clench and dig… for several hours,” he said.
Archaeologists believe many other artefacts are yet to be discovered in and around the wreck. Up to now they had only been able to operate at a depth of 60 metres.
The suit, which is essentially a body submarine, allows for both arm and leg movements, courtesy of multiple patented rotary joints. It also has 1.6 horsepower thrusters that are activated by the “pilot” via pads inside the boots.
It’s made of mostly aluminum, and weighs 530 pounds. The hands are claw-like, which has meant many hours of training in pools for the research team.
The suit also has external LED lights and cameras, an oxygen replenishment system and a tether to the surface with a fiber optic gigabit Ethernet that allows for two-way communications, a live video feed, and monitoring of the suit and its wearer. In the event of an emergency, the suit has backup batteries and systems to maintain life support—if necessary, the four man crew up top can take over control of the suit to bring the diver out of harm’s way.
BUT THE ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM IS WHAT MAKES THIS DIVE EVEN MORE DRAMATIC!
The mechanism was found with a spectacular bronze statue of a youth in the wreck of a cargo ship apparently carrying booty to Rome, and researchers are certain that other items on board still remain to be discovered.
“We have good signs that there are other objects present,” said Angeliki Simosi, head of Greece’s directorate of underwater antiquities, after exploratory dives in the area in 2012 and 2013.
“There are dozens of items left, this was a ship bearing immense riches from Asia Minor,” added Dimitris Kourkoumelis, another archaeologist on the team.
The archaeologists also hope to confirm the presence of a second ship, some 250 metres away from the original discovery site.
Antikythera, which now has a population of only 44, was on one of antiquity’s busiest trade routes, and a base for Cilician pirates, some of whom once captured and held the young Julius Caesar for ransom. He later had them all captured and crucified.
Deep water exploration technology is changing history and to read mores about this historic dive, their results and the cool technology used, click on the links below: