Deepest ancient wreck ever found
Last updated: September 30, 2017 at 2:33 am
3,048 m (10,000 ft) – Unknown shipwreck, Eastern Mediterranean. In the spring of 1999, Nauticos searched for and found a missing Israeli submarine (INS Dakar) that disappeared 31 years ago. Its sonar equipment detected several mysterious objects some 10,000 feet below the surface. A state-of-the-art remotely operated vehicle revealed shipwrecks of tremendous historical and archeological significance. Detailed video and sonar imagery of one of the sites was sent to the Institute of Nautical Archeology at Texas A&M University. The shape of several amphorae – large, oval two-handled vases used for storage – confirmed the vessel dates back to the end of the third century, BC. At 3,048 m (10,000 ft), this makes it the deepest ancient shipwreck ever found. Another striking find is a cauldron that has been collecting sediment for more than 2000 years. A core sample of this sediment could hold secrets about changes in the Mediterranean Sea over the last two millennia. The discovery of this shipwreck between the classical trading centers of Rhodes and Alexandria helps challenge the long-held theory that ancient sailors lacked the skills to sail long distances over the open sea, instead forcing them to closely follow the coastline during their voyages (Nauticos).
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Jeffrey Gallant is the Editor-in-Chief and Records Keeper of the Diving Almanac. He is also a contributing editor of DIVER Magazine, and the scientific director of the Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education and Research Group (GEERG). Jeffrey started diving in 1982.