Scientists have studied the wreckage of a 2,000-year-old Roman ship that carried Antikythera.
Massive marble head.
Photo: Hellenistic Ministry of Culture and Sports/Swiss School of Archeology in Greece
The discoveries were made after scientistscreated a digital 3D model of a ship that sank near Antikythera, a Greek island in the southern Aegean Sea, around the second quarter of the 1st century BC.
Researchers used thousands ofunderwater photographs of a section of the seabed using the technique of photogrammetry. This will help in the search for additional parts of the mysterious gear mechanism, the authors of the new work emphasize.
Thanks to the model, archaeologists have identified andremoved several large boulders that had fallen onto the shipwreck after the earthquake. The stones hid a real treasure of Greek works of art in the hull of the ancient ship.
There were several bronze statues and more than 38marble sculptures, including horses - and it is likely that they were transported to Italy on behalf of wealthy Romans or for sale to them, the scientists explain. In addition to the ancient artifacts, experts found a massive marble head sculpture that is believed to represent the Greek demigod Hercules.
The marble head is believed to be from a headless sculpture found during the first search and rescue expedition to the crash site of Antikythera in 1900 and 1901.
Photo: Orestis Manousos / Hellenistic Ministry of Culture and Sports / Swiss School of Archeology in Greece
The expedition members noted that the head, ratherin total - part of a headless sculpture, which was found during the first expedition to the sunken ship. It was discovered by sea sponge divers in 1900.
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