An interesting part of marine archeology is studying shipwrecks. Off the Albania’s Adriatic coast, a 2400 year old Greek jar floats in the salt water. This jar is the only clue that points towards the sunken merchant fleets. The storage jar or amphora is believed to be part of the sunken ships.
The discovery of the jar marked an important step in the month long survey project that was launched in July. If the project successfully pinpoints the position of the sunken vessels, it could boost the diving tourism.
People would be willing to pay their way to check out the vistas of ancient ships underwater. I think this is an exciting time for marine archaeologists and tourists.
Another fascinating part of the project is that the project will scan the 360 kilometer(220 mile) long coastline of Albania. This will use the latest state-of-the-art scanning technology that is available to researchers.
The other aspect of the project is to prevent the looters from gaining access to the wealth of the shipwreck. So, it’s geared towards protecting the wreck(s).
The Albanian waters were a major business route that linked the Eastern and Western Europe. Ships moved right along the coastline to maintain visual contact with the coast. Archeologist Adrian Anastasi agrees with this fact,
In those times ships usually stayed near the shore, to maintain visual contact with land, and all our coastline was a very intensive route for commercial and other traffic.
The find will remain immersed in the water. However, the Museum maintenance will eventually try to reduce the salinity in the water level in order to preserve the historical asset.
RPM Hercules research vessel continues it’s work in the are although, further permission needs to be sought.
Image Credit: Flheritage
