An international team of archaeologists is returning to the Antikythera Shipwreck, the richest ancient wreck that dates back to 60-50 B.C. The wreck was first discovered by Greek locals in the 1900s and later drew the attention of French explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1976. This time, the archaeologists will return with new advanced technology and an exosuit – a hard metal dive suit that is a $1.5-million one-man submarine that essentially allows divers to reach depths of 1,000 feet and stay underwater for more than five hours.

via New Scientist

Archaeologists have been training with the suit and are ready to return to the site afresh to recover even more treasures that have been inaccessible up until now.

Archaeologists Theotokis Theodoulou tests out the suit during a training dive

History

The first studies at the shipwreck were made by sponge divers with the support of the Royal Navy in 1900-1901. Research was also conducted in 2012 and 2013 by the islands of Crete and Antikythera with the help of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Greece’s Underwater Antiquities Department suggesting the possible presence of a second shipwreck at the area.

The Findings

The findings of the Antikythera shipwreck, that includes the Antikythera mechanism (world’s oldest analog computer), were presented at an exhibition titled “The Shipwreck of Antikythera: The ship, the treasures, the mechanism”. Following the exhibition’s great success, the works are to be presented in Switzerland in 2015.

Here are some of the findings salvaged from the shipwreck so far:

Antikythera Mechanism, the world’s oldest analog computer

The part that was salvaged

For more information about the Antikythera Shipwreck, CLICK HERE