New archaeological findings, such as small parts of sculptures and early Byzantine fragments of vessels, were revealed this year in the marine area of the shipwreck of Antikythera, as part of the “Return to Antikythera” program, while new information on the state of preservation of the ship’s hull came to light.

The third period of the five-year research program “Return to Antikythera” (2021-2025) was carried out from May 19 to June 18, 2023. The research involved a large team consisting of diving archaeologists, seabed technicians and divers, as well as scientists of other specialties, such as geologists, chemists and physicists.

The main goal of this year’s research was to conduct a stratigraphic analysis of the wreck itself and its cargo, as well as to explore new areas of it. It should be noted that, while the previous excavation periods were aimed at locating and retrieving objects for the purpose of their conservation, protection and future exhibition, the recent research turned to solving problems that had arisen in the past.

Throughout the research, digital and 3D imaging was done. All of the latest  archaeological findings have been included in digital form in a database containing Geographical Information System (GIS) data, in which all findings have been registered, beginning with those of 1900-1901. In addition, a field analysis laboratory was set up on the island with instruments suitable for micromorphological field observations, in order to facilitate the course of the research.

The underwater research in Antikythera is being conducted by the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece, under the co-direction of Angeliki G. Simosi, current archaeologist, Director of the Antiquity Service of Piraeus, and the professor of classical archeology at the University of Geneva, Lorenz E. Baumer. The supervision of the research is carried out by the Marine Antiquities Service through Aikaterini Tagonidou, a diving architect, and Athena Patsourou, a diving technician.

Due to his extensive experience in difficult missions, Vice-Admiral (ret.) Alexandros Palatianos has been appointed responsible for the smooth conduct of the investigation, while the field director is the researcher of the University of Geneva, Alexandros Sotiriou.

The team is completed by the diving archaeologists Orestis Manousos and Isaac Ogloblin, the seabed technicians Nikos Giannoulakis, Charalambos Mitrou and Dimitris Romios, as well as eight divers from the Underwater Missions Unit (Specialized Diving Team) of the Coast Guard.

The documentation of the archaeological finds, the creation of the 3D models and the updating of the GIS was done by Patrizia Birchler-Emery and Timothy Pönitz (University of Geneva), while the on-site workshop was organized by Isaac Ogloblin (University of Haifa), with the participation of professors Maria Louloudis and Yiannis Deligiannakis (University of Ioannina) and the support of Yannis Bitsakis (University of Geneva and Nereus Research Foundation). The geologist Charalambos Fasoulas (Natural History Museum of Crete) went to Antikythera to examine geological data about the shipwreck site.

The research program is under the auspices of the H.E. President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

Official Website: https://antikythera.org.gr