Seabed survey for power cable near Kythera reveals Classical-era shipwreck

[AA marine survey conducted near the island of Kythera for the construction of the Crete-Peloponnese subsea interconnection has revealed a shipwreck of the classical era, Greece’s electrical grid operator ADMIE announced on Thursday.

According to the preliminary results of the research conducted by the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities and the Hellenic Center for Marine Research (HCMR), the shipwreck which was located at a depth of 222 metres and dates from the end of the 5th to the mid-4th century B.C.

Amphoras originating from the islands of Corfu, Skopelos and Chios were identified in the cargo deck of the sunken ship, a fact that indicates developed commercial activity in the Aegean and the Ionian Sea. The completion of the three-dimensional imaging of the shipwreck, which is in progress, is expected to give an even clearer view of the size of the vessel and the volume of its cargo.

ADMIE said it intends to support possible initiatives for the collection and exhibition of the findings, at the discretion of the competent authorities.

A video of the underwater exploration of the shipwreck is available (with Greek subtitles) here.

[AMNA]