Shipwrecks from 3,000 BC to World War II discovered along the same island

Researcher’s used Homer’s Iliad as a guide to find a number of ancient artifacts (Picture: Greek Ministry of Culture)

Explorers have found 10 shipwrecks off the coast of Greece, with one being at least 5,000-year-old.

Researcher’s used Homer’s Iliad as a guide to find a number of ancient artifacts during a four-year survey off the coast of Kasos in the Aegean sea.

They found the remains of 10 sunken ships, with the oldest dating back t o 3,000 BC.

The ships span across different eras, including the Classical period (460 BC), the Hellenistic period (100 BC to 100 AD), the Roman years (200 BC – 300 AD) and the Byzantine period (800 – 900 AD).

The most recent vessel was a World War II era ship made of wood, the Greek Ministry of Culture announced.

Unique finds from Spain, Italy, Africa and Asia Minor were also found.

This includes a Spanish amphora with a seal on its handle dating between 150-170 AD.

Researchers found the remains of 10 sunken ships (Picture: Greek Ministry of Culture)

Unique finds from Spain, Italy, Africa and Asia Minor were also found (Picture: Greek Ministry of Culture)

Everything was found 65 and 155 feet below surface (Picture: Greek Ministry of Culture)

Drinking vessels, African terra sigillata flasks and a stone ancho from the 8th century BC were also discovered.

They were all found between 65 and 155 feet below surface.

Kasos served as a major trade hub east of Crete and played a role in the Trojan war, according to Homer’s Iliad.

The survey’s website said: ‘It is the first systematic research on the seabed of Kasos with the main objective of locating, recording and studying the antiquities of an area at the crossroads of cultures and once a center of navigation.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *