Posted on 10/06/2017 7:05:39 AM PDT by BenLurkin
A bronze statue’s orphaned arm. A corroded disc adorned with a bull. Preserved wooden planks. These are among the latest treasures that date back to the dawn of the Roman Empire, discovered amid the ruins of the Antikythera shipwreck, a sunken bounty off the coast of a tiny island in Greece.
Marine archaeologists working on a project called Return to Antikythera announced these findings on Wednesday from their most recent excavation of the roughly 2,000-year-old wreck, which was first discovered 115 years ago. They said the haul hints at the existence of at least seven more bronze sculptures still buried beneath the seafloor. Bronze sculptures from that era are rare because they were often melted down to make swords, shields and other items. Only about 50 intact examples have survived, so if the team can salvage the submerged statues, it would be a remarkable recovery of ancient artifacts.
...
The ship that carried the treasures of Antikythera was something like an ancient supertanker or luxury liner that carried grain and artwork for trading in the Mediterranean, including marble and bronze statues being shipped to the richest of the rich, according to Dr. Foley. The site thus provides a peek not just into the lives of the elite, but also into the blooming global and urban society at the beginning of the Roman Empire.
“We’re looking at the biggest ancient ship ever investigated by underwater archaeologists,” said Dr. Foley.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
You want to see something fascinating watch The History Channels look at the Antikythera Mechanism.
Time references do not line up.
Writer mentions a “roughly 2,000-year-old wreck”, yet references twice in the excerpt to the ‘dawn’ or ‘beginning’ of the Roman Empire.
The Empire began with Augustus Caesar.
Maybe confusing ‘ancient Rome’ which grew into a republic, which then became the Roman Empire (Imperial Rome), which did indeed begin about 2000 years ago?
Since one government or another will claim title to whatever is found, there is not a lot of motivation to spend the kind of money it would take to excavate the site.
Somebody pulled its finger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML4tw_UzqZE&list=PLZioPDnFPNsHnyxfygxA0to4RXv4_jDU2
Quite right, the both of you!
Need more coffee.
Thanks for posting this. Very cool.
(I didn’t want to click on NYT link.)
What is a marvel to me is that they could get all those hand-cut gears to mesh without jamming. One mistake anywhere in all those cuts and it was Game Over.
Why did you post a picture of Hugh Hefner’s hand?
>>>>>>>>>>>>Treasure
Awesome!
That certainly applies to the crew of that ship!
This topic was posted , thanks BenLurkin.
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