Dozens of amphorae are shown in a shipwreck off the coast of Mallorca in this photo released by Mallorca's ministry of culture.
Totally Undisturbed Roman Shipwreck Found with Valuable Cargo Intact
The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has found a Roman Shipwreck on the sea. Protaras is well-known for its stunning beauties and luxuriant resorts on the southeast coast of Cyprus, but most tourists don’t know that a newly discovered Roman shipwreck, two-thousand-year-old, lies not too far away.
Cyprus has been a desired territory throughout history because of the strategic location for maritime trade, according to Smithsonian.com. It was ruled by Greeks and Persians at different times until Rome in about 58 B.C. Under the rule of Rome, Cyprus was quite prosperous.
According to Live Science, Spyros Spyrou and Andreas Kritiotis, who volunteer their time to dive for the underwater archaeological research team of the Maritime Archaeological Research Laboratory at the University of Cyprus, found the wreck in the summer of 2019.
Two teams were immediately dispatched so the Roman shipwreck could be protected and studied in situ, Latin for “on-site”, before anything was moved. One of the teams is led by Dr. Stella Demesticha, Associate Professor of Maritime Archaeology and the other is led by Dr. Dimitris Skarlatos, Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and Geoinformatics, Cyprus University of Technology, and Eleni Loizides, Conservator at the Department of Antiquities.
The Roman ship was full of amphorae, large jugs that usually held about six gallons, mostly made from ceramic or terra cotta, with a narrow neck and handles on either side; they were regularly used to carry trading goods such as olive oil, wine, grains, and other bulk goods.
The Cyprus Department of Antiquities notes that the trading ship was probably from the area of Syria and Cilicia along the Mediterranean coast in Turkey which was part of the Roman Empire.
The Mediterranean region is full of ancient shipwrecks, but researchers are hoping that this undisturbed wreck will provide additional information regarding trade during Roman times and the importance of Cyprus as a Roman trading port.
One of the most exciting things about this wreck is that it is the first one found in Cyprus that is in excellent shape and completely undisturbed, according to Cyprus Mail.
It is also the first such archeological study completely funded by the Department of Transport which, according to the Department of Antiquities, acted with speed and decisiveness to procure the finances for the research.
The department also notes their appreciation that Spyros Spyrou and Andreas Kritiotis reported their find so quickly, enabling the protection of the wreck.
For the past eight years, another ancient shipwreck from the late classical period of Greek history was found in Mazotos, a quiet holiday and retirement village on the seacoast.
The Mazotos Shipwreck was carrying amphorae from the 4th century BC and ninety-nine full and partial jugs were found under the foredeck of the hold alone, one of which was full of olive pits which were presumably from olives the crew had eaten.
The jugs were Chian, from the Greek island of Chios which exported the finest wines, the first red wines are known, and were written about in Greek mythology. Fine wines are still produced on the island.
In 2010, the Laboratory for the Conservation of Maritime Antiquities was created by the Department of Antiquities in Cyprus to store and conserve the relics brought up from the Mazotos and other shipwrecks found at the bottom of the Mediterranean.
These two shipwrecks, as well as others found in the area, are bringing together students, volunteers, and researchers from many different countries, and Cyprus is showing the world the importance of protecting the cultural heritage of its people by its quick response to the reports of hidden history both with teams of scientists and financial backing.
