In the bay of Methoni Pylias, Messinia, an extensive submerged prehistoric settlement area of approximately 120 acres has been located, dating from the Middle Bronze Age. Trenches made revealed that beneath the surface of the sea bottom, walls are kept up to a depth of six blocks. The same trenches revealed infant burials under the floors, mainly in the form of multiple pot burials. The buildings’ conservation status and the deformation of their corners show a rapid sinking as a result of seismic activity.
Furthermore, shipwrecks belonging to the historical times (Byzantine and Ottoman eras) were located in the same marine area, as well as a medieval coastal water pipe of Methoni’s fortress. Moreover, there is the submerged breakwater of the ancient port of Methoni. This underwater ensemble is associated with the timeless history of Methoni.
This research included a survey of the region and the data thus obtained was useful in interpreting the mechanism through which the settlement has sunk.
The sinking of the building remains in Methoni can not be explained on the basis of the mechanisms of eustatic theory or by a perhaps geologically rapid but archaeologically slow tectonic precipitation of the order of 1- 2 m. per millennium. The degree of preservation of these remains could only be explained by a very rapid vertical tectonic motion, accompanied by a congruent seismic activity, not rare in this region.

Funding: Ministry of Culture and Sports, Municipality of Pylos