Five major ancient shipwrecks are among the finds by archaeologists during underwater searches at the bottom of Levitha, the small Greek island in the Aegean Sea, between Amorgos and Leros.
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An archaeological treasure trove has been found at the bottom of the sea in Greece, with a number of shipwrecks dating more than 2000 years old.
The five major wrecks were discovered along with a huge anchor and amphorae — an ancient container used to transport goods such as wine.
The granite anchor pole, which was found 45 metres down, dates back to the 6th century BC and weighing 400kg, it is believed to have been used on a “colossal-sized ship”.
The discoveries were made near Levitha, a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea between Amorgos and Leros.
The amphorae were from the Aegean, places such as Knidos, Kos and Rhodes, as well as Phoenicia and Carthage. They were dated to the 3rd century BC, during the era of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, which ended with the deaths of Cleopatra and her son.
The discoveries were made by the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, a department within the Greek culture ministry, which is conducting a three-year research project to identify and document ancient shipwrecks in the area.
