Discovery of an ancient shipwreck on the island of Androstranslated

The Ephorate of Marine Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture carried out an autopsy following a tip from a private individual in a marine area of the island of Andros, where they found the cargo of an ancient ship. The wreck was located at a depth of 39-44 meters and its cargo consists of commercial sharp-bottomed amphorae (photos 1, 2). The existence of at least three different types of commercial sharp-bottomed amphorae was established (Mendis, Peparithou and Solokha 2 (photo 3)). During the autopsy, one amphora of each type was sampled (photo 4).

1. Photomosaic of the wreck

The chronological framework in which the said amphorae are included is defined at the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 4th century BC. A part of a lead anchor bar was also found at the wreck site, as well as a small number of stones which may be related to the ballast of the ship. According to a first estimate, around 600-650 amphorae were counted.

The particularly interesting find enriches our knowledge of trade and navigation in the Late Classic period. Further study of the find will obviously provide other interesting information about both its cargo and the…