A man vacationing in Crete discovered accidentally in the water an ancient amphora that is estimated to date from the Byzantine period.

According to Neakriti.gr news website, the tourist was sunbathing in the Arina Beach in Heraklion on Thursday, taking pictures to capture the calm and the clear, blue color of the sea.

Looking at his pictures, the man noticed a round-looking object in the water. Initially, he thought it was a human head, the report says. The man came out of the water to notify the water sports facility on the beach.

The vacationer showed the picture of the object to a man of the facility and directed him to the point where he took the snap. The people from the sea sports facility went in the water and found out that the object was an ancient amphora in very good condition and brought it out.

The Heraklion port authorities were notified about the discovery and quickly retrieved the ancient vase. Experts from the Heraklion Ephorate of Antiquities estimate the urn came from a Byzantine vessel dating between the 12th and 13th centuries.

The ancient amphora will be transferred to the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities in Athens on Monday (today).

Source: Philip Chrysopoulos/greekreporter