Antikythera, the birth place of underwater archaeology, is the first greek island whose total perimeter has been systematically researched.
During the last research of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities with the contribution and the technical knowledge of WHOI, the location of the known Wrecκ of Antikythera was rediscovered and the chance was given to evaluate its condition for the first time after the previous research.

The Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, supported technically and financially by the american Oceanigraphic Institute of Woods Hole, carried out in Autumn 2013 an underwater archaeological research in West Crete and Antikythera, during which detected six shipwrecks and five moorings in the sea room of West Crete and obtained information about the known wreck of Antikythera.
Referring to the Antikythera Wreck, the first assessment is that the activities of the sponge divers in 1900 and the Cousteau team - Ministry of Culture and Science in 1976 were carried out in a restricted area , while the pottery remains of the cargo seem to occupy a much larger area, at least 50m. length. On the seabed still lie entire and fragmented amphorae and a part of tile as well. Impressive and indicative for the ships sinking are the leaden parts of one of its anchors (stock and attachment), which were detected, documented and recovered with the aim to supplement the ongoing exhibition of the ships cargo in the National Archaeological Museum. The discovery restores also the memory of the sponge divers, for whom the published rumor was that they had recovered the leaden components of the ships anchors, which were used to their diving footwears and their fishing nets or that they sold the raw material for their own benefit.

By means of underwater mapping technology of EdgeTech - 4600, which had the capability of combined multi-beam and side scan, the area around 65km from the shoreline of the Gramvousa and Rodopos peninsula up to the 120m isobath was surveyed, and the whole perimeter of Antikythera (30 km) as well, with emphasis on the area of the known roman wreck with the cargo of the art treasures (36 statues and the famous Antikythera Mechanism). These were recovered by the immense endeavors of sponge divers from Symi in 1900. In the area the team of captain Cousteau came back under the supervision of the at that time Ministry of Culture and Science in 1976, and a joint team of the Ephorate and Woods Hole in 2012. The combination of the last year's and this year's results, imprinted on the underwater map of the position, drive to the conclusion of the possible existence of two wrecks in the same area.

The underwater visual investigation took place mainly with methods of technical diving Nitrox and Trimix with combined use of Rebreathers and propeller (DPVs), giving the opportunity of exploration in 100 hours of diving beyond 25km and in depth in some occasions up to 70m.

Furthermore, the remains of six ancient shipwrecks were detected in the area of the two west peninsulas of Crete, three of which belong to the roman period, the one with cargo of blocks above 100 tones, the second with cargo of amphorae and table vessels and the third with cargo of african amphoras, two with amphoras of the Middle Byzantine period, and one with unidentified perforated stones. The remains of a modern metal wreck and of a 19th cent. wreck were detected. The latter can probably be identified with the HMS Cambrian that was sunk while bombing pirates at the castle of Gramvousa in January 1828.
Five more positions for anchoring were explored in use from the Classical period till today, especially indicative for ancient navigation in the demanding water of West Crete. Also, the elevated harbor of the city of Kisamos was explored producing particularly interesting observations, which revise our knowledge about this harbor. Of equivalent interest were the conclusions that concern the seismic and geologic history of West Crete and Antikythera, which are exactly on the active greek arc and which shook during the research by eartquake of 6.2.


Funding: Ministry of Culture and Sports, Woods Hole Oceanograpic Institution
See also: http://antikythera.whoi.edu/