This is the eighth research period of the underwater research in the Fourna Archipelago, which was completed in September 2023.
As stated in today’s (22/3/24) announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this wreck has been systematically excavated since 2021 and has been selected for intensive investigation, due to the extremely interesting heterogeneous cargo it carries. So far, eight different types of amphorae have been recorded, originating from the Crimea, Sinope and Heraklion of the Pontus, in the Black Sea, as well as from the Aegean and an additional load of tableware, from the region of Phocaea in Asia Minor.
The 2023 survey focused on the regional cleaning of the western, shallower side of the wreck from sand deposits, in order to address the phenomenon of landslides in the wreck area, due to the strong slope of the seabed. During the search, which faced multiple difficulties due to adverse weather conditions, 170 team dives were carried out in the first fortnight of September and approximately 15 cubic meters of debris were removed, revealing an extensive spread of cargo on the shallow side of the wreck, mainly from arrays of panels. The scattering of the finds on the seabed seems to indicate a partial loss of cargo, before the ship sank and ended up in the final deposition location, in the 40-50 meter zone.
The raised table pottery was particularly enlightening regarding the more precise chronological inclusion of the shipwreck, which can now be safely dated between 480 and 520 AD, probably during the years of Emperor Anastasius I (491 – 518 AD .), known from historiographical sources, mainly for his fiscal and monetary reforms, which strengthened the state’s coffers and enabled the expansionist policy of the emperors of the 6th century, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs points out.
At the same time, with the excavation of the shipwreck, findings from three more shipwrecks of the Fourni archipelago were brought up, which are intended for their museum exhibition in the Archaeological Museum of Fourni, under establishment. Among these finds are a giant archaic anchor obelisk and amphorae from shipwrecks of the 6th century. e.g. and 7th and 8th c. A.D.
An equally important aspect of the research was the training of nine undergraduate and postgraduate students of the University of Thessaly in the methods and practices of marine archaeology, gaining important experience for their professional training and subsequent development. The general direction of the research was the assistant professor of marine archeology at the University of Thessaly, Giorgos Koutsouflakis, and the archaeologist of the Ephorate of Marine Antiquities, Dionysios Evangelistis. The research was framed by a staff of 30 divers from different specialties (archaeologists, architects, conservators of antiquities, professional divers, photographers, students).
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