ANTIKYTHERA - 2012

Antikythera. A. Simosi (Director, Ephoreia of Maritime Antiquities) in collaboration with B. Foley (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) reports on fieldwork to survey the sea around the island for wrecks, relocate and evaluate the site of the known Antikythera wreck, and evaluate the use of proprietary closed circuit diving in archaeological research. The work took place within the framework of a collaborative survey of the sea between the bay of Kissamos in western Crete and Antikythera.

The site of the Antikythera wreck was relocated, noting that whole amphorae and sherds remain on the seabed. Parts of a lead anchor (stock and connector), which provide valuable information about the way the ship sank, were recorded and lifted.

Small collections of sherds were located (probably chance discards rather than part of the cargo of a wreck), as well as the fragmentary remains of a more recent wreck to the north of the island. The greater part of this wreck probably lies at greater depth beyond the area investigated.