Ancient shipwreck's orichalcum links Sicily to Atlantis legend
The German portal Focus reminds us of the history of the sunken wreck of the Greek ship "Gela II" from the 5th century BC, located off the coast of Sicily near the city of Gela. Over 30 years after the vessel was first discovered, explorers found 86 ingots of mysterious metal next to the ship, which experts associate with the myth of Atlantis.
The "Gela II" wreck was first discovered in the 1980s near Bulala Beach in the city of Gela in southern Sicily. Although such objects in the Mediterranean Sea are not uncommon, "Gela II" particularly interested archaeologists due to the metal ingots found in the wreck. This metal is orichalcum, mentioned by Plato, who compared its value to gold. Moreover, orichalcum is linked to the mythical Atlantis, which was said to cover the temples in the sunken city.
The ship carried metal ingots associated with the mythical Atlantis
Scientists have been interested in the "Gela II" wreck and its contents for years. During previous searches, the aforementioned orichalcum was found on the vessel, which probably contains 75 to 80 percent copper and up to 20 percent zinc, with trace additions of nickel, lead, and iron.
“The discovery of orichalcum ingots is significant because nothing like it has ever been found,” said Sebastiano Tusa, who was involved in the research, as quoted by the portal Archaeology News. Researchers intend to closely examine the wreck and what else may be found on its deck, for which they have recently launched a major project.
The Cultural and Environmental Heritage Supervision Office of the Sea of the Sicily Region reports that salvage work on the "Gela II" wreck has already begun. However, the results of these actions must be awaited because the work's estimated duration is 270 days. During this time, the dismantling and restoration of the boat's wood are planned—these are the stages that will commence the aforementioned works.
To recap, the "Gela II" measured about 49 feet in length and about 16 feet in width. On the deck of the vessel, in addition to the metal ingots, helmets, ceramics, and personal belongings of the crew were also found.
