Ancient to modern shipwrecks discovered off Kasos Island by researchers

During four years of research, an international team of scientists from the National Foundation for Research of Greece and the Greek Ministry of Culture discovered ten shipwrecks off the coast of Kasos Island in the Aegean Sea. One of these is believed to be around five thousand years old.

The scientists noted that the shipwrecks span various time periods, including the era of classical Greece around 460 B.C., the Hellenistic period from 100 B.C. to 100 A.D., and the Byzantine era from 800 to 900 A.D.

Additionally, the expeditions unearthed ships from the Roman period, the Middle Ages, and the Ottoman Empire era. According to Heritage Daily, the oldest of these wrecks dates back to circa 3000 B.C., marking it as prehistoric.

The Greek research team also encountered a wooden ship from World War II measuring over 30 metres in length, as CBS News reported last week.

But these wrecks are not the only treasures found by the scientists. Among the discoveries near the wreckages are several unique artefacts originating from Spain, Italy, Africa, and Asia Minor. Among these artefacts is a Spanish amphora with a seal on its handle, dating back to 170-150 B.C., terra sigillata pottery from Africa (noted for its high-quality, reddish-brown ceramics), and a stone anchor from the archaic period of Greece.

All the shipwrecks and underwater 'treasures' were located at depths ranging from approximately 20 to 47 metres below the sea level. The research took place over the years 2019-2023, wherein the scientists captured over twenty thousand underwater photographs and, for the first time, mapped the Kasos-Karpathos reef using sonar technology.

Source: Heritage Daily, CBS News, The Irish Sun