Underwater excavations in Argolis Valley 2016

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In the bay of the Valley in Argolida conducted in collaboration with the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities and the University of Geneva, the project "Bay Valley" under the auspices of the Swiss School of Archaeology. The program aims to detect traces of human activity during the prehistoric period in the southeastern region of the Argolic Gulf, around the cave Franchthi where important prehistoric remains have been found.

Research conducted in the same area in 2015 found extensive fortified settlement of the Bronze Age. The settlement, which dates back to the Early Helladic period (mid 3rd millennium BC), located at a depth of 1-3 m. In the bay area located in the "Lampagianna beach." 

The program aims for 2016 was to seek the limits of the above settlement in space and time. From July 11 to August 12, 2016, research was conducted under the direction of Dr. Angeliki Simossi, Head of the Inspectorate of Underwater Antiquities and Professor Karl Reber, Director of the Swiss School of Archaeology, with the field officers submerged archaeologist ESA Despina Koutsouba and lecturer at the University of Geneva Julien Beck.

The investigation began with underwater surveying and geophysical measurements, such as magnetic and electric prospecting tomography, reflected the visible part of the settlement and to find structures that may lie beneath the sandy bottom and shoreline. Based on preliminary results it is clear that the settlement has greater complexity and size than previously assumed and extends to at least 20 acres.

The underwater excavation in test section inside the settlement, the exterior face of a wall of the EH II period, revealed a thick layer with ceramics dating to the Early Helladic I period (beginning of the 3rd millennium BC) or earlier.
Research will continue with surveying, geophysical surveys and underwater sections of a larger part of the settlement.

Excavation / Research Antikythera Shipwreck From May 22 to June 11, 2016

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From May 22 until June 11, 2016 the scientific team of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities and American Oceanographic Institute Woods Hole, which investigates the Antikythera Shipwreck, completed another expedition with very interesting results.

Initially continued the excavation, which began last fall. They conducted in parallel trenches at various points in an attempt to identify the limits of space, which was the main concentration of the load and possibly the remains of the ship itself.
The wide dispersion of the ceramic, the deep and disturbing, which has brought the refloated in 1900 and the excavation of 1976, make this task difficult. However, the possibility of accurate positioning of any information in highly detailed digital map of the area (GIS), understanding the limits of the wreck is getting better. This contributes to the mechanical detection elements below the bottom surface, which give the appearance of the dispersion of the ceramic charge, and the metal elements of the ship itself such as nails, iron slag, portions of epimolyvdosis.
The findings were about 60 to -55m depth and are as follows:
A second bronze spear with the tip, following the first detected in 2014, four fragments of marble statues, from which stands out a left hand wrist. The end of a leg of wooden furniture with copper plating, fragments of glass vessels and other blown millefiori-type glass jars, one Lagyna, one jug and a ring gold are some of the most important findings.
Particularly illustrative are the elements of the ship itself, as nails of various types of resin mass leaves from epimolyvdosi board wrapped or folded leaden plates, a leaden pipe, possibly the water pump (bilges) of the vessel and a lead weight ( counterweight?) around 100 kg. This category probably belong the iron slag masses, which maintain their inner shape of the object.
Finally, the area investigated, related to the existence of another wreck and now there is objective evidence for the existence of a second ship. This is a lead different caliber tube and different nail type, tiles and different types of amphora and Lagyna.

An investigation is under the auspices of the President of the Republic II. Pavlopoulos, conducted under the direction of the Head of the Inspectorate of Underwater Antiquities Dr. A.Simosi.
The Department of Underwater Antiquities also participated in the International Shipping Exhibition "Posidonia" 2016 which took place from 6 to 10 June 2016 in which it placed visual material concerning the ongoing underwater archaeological research in the South Evian Gulf.
At the same time and by the end of the year, will be on display at the Maritime Museum of Greece in the context of the exhibition "OLKAS. From the Sea to the Black Sea. Medieval ports-stations sea routes of the East "finds the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of the sinking of the French yponafarchidas" La Thérèse ", which sank in 1669 in Dermata Gulf during the fall of Candia to the Turks.