Race To Preserve The World’s Oldest Submerged Town

July 09, 2009

The world's oldest submerged town is about to give up its secrets, according to a statement by the University of Nottingham, UK.

Laying in three to four metres of water off the coast of southern Laconia in Greece, the ancient town of Pavlopetri dates from at least 2800 BC.

A thriving harbour town where the inhabitants conducted local and long distance trade throughout the Mediterranean - its sandy and well-protected bay would have been ideal for beaching Bronze Age ships - Pavlopetri is now at risk from treasure-seeking tourists and boats.

Indeed, the submerged buildings, courtyards, streets, tombs and graves, lie just off a sandy stretch of beach close to an area popular with holiday makers and campers.

Underwater archaeologist Jon Henderson, from the University of Nottingham, will be the first archaeologist to have official access to the site in 40 years.

The survey will be carried out using equipment originally developed for the military and offshore oilfield market.

Henderson's team will carry out a detailed millimeter accurate digital underwater survey of the site using an acoustic scanner. The equipment can produce photo-realistic, three dimensional digital surveys of seabed features and underwater structures to millimetre accuracy in a matter of minutes.

Henderson will publish his research in 2014, following four fieldwork seasons of underwater survey and excavation.

Photo: courtesy of University of Nottingham.

Comments

[Kathryn Hadley]

I also wrote an article about the Pavlopetri project. It is fascinating because very little research has currently been carried out about harbour towns during the Mycenaean period. Yet the power of the civilisation was largely based on their control of the sea! http://historytodaymagazine.blogspot.com/2009/05/pavlopetri-preservation-of-oldest.html
I am also hosting the next History Carnival on August 1st. I would very much appreciate any nominations of your favourite history blog posts. Thank you!