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This wreck was discovered about 150 metres from the island of Yassiada at a depth of 30-36 metres. The excavations were carried out by a team consisting of an architect, an artist, a photographer and a number of archaeologists under the direction of George F. Bass. Most of them learned to dive only after arriving in Bodrum as the aim was to make divers of archaeologists rather than archaeologists of divers.
A flat-bottomed boat was placed over the wreck to serve as a diving-platform and anchored on three sides to prevent it from drifting with the winds and currents. Dives were made twice a day, the morning dive lasting 25-30 minutes, the evening dive rather less.
The wreck was cleaned with wire brushes to remove sea-weed and make photography possible. The Dumas grid system was placed over the spot where the cabin must have been and measurements made from there. Plastic labels were attached to the finds and sketches were made on special plastic paper with underwater pens. Finds were brought up to the surface only after photographs and sketches had been made.
Byzantine jars. The jar in sed for
decanting wine from amphora
Of the 900 amphorae on board 100 were brought to the surface. Some were raised by being turned upside down and filled with air and allowed to float up to the surface, others were attached to balloons. Deposits were immediately removed as otherwise they hardened and cleaning became absolutely impossible. They were also kept in fresh water for a time to prevent cracking.
Gold Coins of the Emperor Heraclius
Towards the end of the 1961 season a steelyard was discovered bearing the name of the captain -Georgia Presbyterou Nauklero. On one end of the bar was a leopard and on the other a pig's head, while the handle consisted of a statue of Athena, showing that the old gods and goddesses retained their influence well into the Byzantine era. The gold coins found in the wreck indicate the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, the latest of the coins being dated 625.
Oxidised iron implements are taken out from
the moulds by splitting into two.
The excavations were finally completed in 1964. The work had lasted for four seasons and over 3,000 dives had been made. The latest techniques were employed in these excavations and the treatment of the finds served as a model to other underwater excavations. This excavation is also of importance in being the first excavation to have been carried out on a Byzantine wreck. |
