In 1965, there was an archaeological discovery very important for Greek History. A diving instructor found a Greek ship in the Cypriot Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Greece, victim of a shipwreck, the Kyrenia. It was an ancient treasure for underwater archaeology. A ship and 300 amphorae full of wine, oil and almonds, dating from between 276 and 282 B.C.It doesn’t seem like a real story, does it?
After several investigations it was concluded that it was an ancient merchant ship from the Mediterranean, which added even more value to the discovery. Researchers have combined science and history to get to the bottom of the research, reaching conclusions that added much value to our history.
 Searching for sponges
60 years ago, the diving instructor Andreas Cariolu, dived into the Cypriot sea off the coast of Greece in search of marine sponges. Completely accidentally, he came across a sunken ship that turned out to be the known as the Kyrenia. Not only found the boat 14 meters long, but also added up 300 amphoras, a kind of storage tank, which after excavations in 1968 and 1969, turned out to carry olive oil, almonds and wine.
Although early investigations indicated that these treasures dated back to 300 B.C., the Cornell University, rectified that it was much later, thanks to the use of radiocarbon dating techniques and dendrochronology. One of the most attractive features for researchers is the fact that they have combined Science , Technology and Archeology to carry out this research.
Thanks to the finding of a piece of wood, animal bones and a small branch, they managed to rectify the dates and specify even more, specifically 272 BC and 286 BC. Furthermore, the CNN was told by Mark Lawall, a professor in the department of classics at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, that the crew of the Kyrenia was probably made up of more marginal merchants who traded for a living. He added that it was not just any boat dedicated to sailing and exclusive marketing, but a link between different cultures within the Mediterranean region, which explains the cultural fabric we see today.
The biggest and most important discovery
According to researchers, this has been has been one of the most valuable discoveries in History and Archeology. The professor of arts and sciences in classical archaeology at Cornell University in New York, Sturt Manning, stated that “[…] It is of fundamental importance to the history of naval technology and maritime trade in the classical Mediterranean”.
The discovery of Kyrenia is not just another discovery. It is the one on which all researchers have agreed and considered one of the most importantin history. The fact that they have been able to date the remains, and even narrow the circle thanks to advances in technology, is of great value to the timeline of Greek history. This facilitates the understanding and learning of behaviors and customs from thousands of years ago, and how they have affected today’s society, both Greek and global.
Importance of this discovery
One of the disadvantages of Archeology is the difficulty to connect the dots when it comes to dating remains or placing events on a timeline. Several factors are involved, such as the resources available to them, the state of the remains found and their conservation. This is why each successful finding is celebrated with great joy, because it means taking another step towards the knowledge of our origins and our history.
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