Greek divers locate 2,400-year-old shipwreck packed with hundreds of amphorae
Divers off the Greek island of Andros uncovered a shipwreck dating to the late 5th and early 4th centuries B.C., containing roughly 600 to 650 ancient storage jars.
Investigators working with Greece's Ministry of Culture have confirmed the discovery of a shipwreck off Andros, a Cycladic island, at depths ranging from 128 to 144 feet. The wreck, estimated to be about 2,400 years old, holds an estimated 600 to 650 pointed-bottom commercial amphorae dating to the late fifth and early fourth centuries B.C. The jars, classified into three varieties—Mende, Peparethos and Solokha 2—lie scattered on the seabed, coated in marine growth.
Alongside the pottery, divers found part of a lead anchor stock and several stones likely used as ballast. A single amphora of each type was recovered for sampling, and officials anticipate that detailed analysis will shed light on the ship's trade routes and cargo contents. The find adds new data on maritime commerce during the Late Classical period, complementing recent discoveries of ancient wrecks in the Mediterranean, including a 1,300-year-old vessel near Croatia and a 2,000-year-old wreck off Turkey.
Why it matters
The wreck provides rare physical evidence of ancient Mediterranean trade and shipbuilding practices.
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