Hull of ancient ship revealed

From Cyprus Mail


The Department of Antiquities has completed a second season of excavations of the Mazotos shipwreck.

The team continued the systematic excavation of a trench, first opened in 2010, at the southern part of the assemblage, which the archaeologists have taken to be the bow of the ancient ship.

Meanwhile, transport amphorae recovered at the site came from the island of Chios in the Aegean. One amphora from Cos was also found outside the main assemblage and it may have been part of the crew’s provisions.

Parts of two anchor stocks were also excavated which, added to the one found last year, provide valuable information on the sailing equipment of ancient ships. 

The keel and part of the wooden hull of the ship were also unveiled, proving that a considerable part of the ancient ship is still lying under the main concentration of the amphorae.

All recovered materials were transported to the special lab for underwater finds at the Larnaca District Museum, where they will remain for desalination and conservation.

Many students from the University of Cyprus took part in the project. Apart from the archaeological excavation, they were also trained in ancient sailing during a seminar organised in collaboration with the Kyrenia-Chrysocava Foundation, on the ‘Kyrenia-Liberty’ ship. The ship sailed from the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base in Mari, where it was moored, to the Mazotos shipwreck area.

During the trip, the Kyrenia-Liberty crew, under Captain Giorgos Paphitis, taught the basic principles of ancient sailing.

Divers and archaeologists came from 16 different countries.