22 Ancient Shipwrecks with Cargo Uncovered in the Greek Islands

Researchers have uncovered what may be the shipwreck capital of the world. An archaeological expedition has discovered 22 shipwrecks over 13 days in the Fourni archipelago in the Greek islands.

"The concentration of ancient shipwrecks is unprecedented," said Peter Campbell, one of the researchers, in a news release. "The volume of shipwrecks in Fourni, an island that had no major cities or harbors, speaks to its role in navigation as well as the perils of sailing the eastern Aegean."

The wrecks date from the Archaic Period, which occurred from 700 to 480 BC, through the Late Medieval Period in the 16^th century. Several also date to the Classical, from 480 to 323 BC and the Hellenistic Periods, from 323 to 331 BC. Over half the wrecks, though, date to the Late Roman Period, which occurred around 300 to 600 AD.

"What is astonishing is not only the number of the shipwrecks, but also the diversity of the cargos, some of which have been found for the first time," said George Koutsoflakis, one of the researchers.

Fourni is a collection of thirteen islands and islets located between the eastern Aegean islands of Samos and Icaria. The small islands never hosted large cities. Instead, they acted as an anchorage and navigational point in the eastern Aegean.

The latest discovery adds 12 percent to the total number of know ancient shipwrecks in Greece. The findings suggest a great number of shipwrecks still await discovery in Fourni. Now, researchers have learned a bit more about this ancient trade route, thanks to the newly discovered shipwrecks.

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