The waters off the coast of Antikythera in Greece hold many mysteries of the ancient world that are yet to be uncovered. Site of the largest shipwreck from antiquity, the region boasts a treasure trove of invaluable artifacts as well as the famous Antikythera Mechanism, a 2,000-year-old astronomical calculator that is widely considered the world's…
Little over a month after archaeologists discovered a 2,000-year-old lump of butter in the Irish peat bog, a team of divers has stumbled upon what seems to be 340-year-old cheese, while surveying a 17th-century shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. Interestingly, the leader of the expedition Lars Einarsson described the centuries-old diary product as having quite a "pleasant"…
As part of a recent archaeological expedition, researchers have stumbled upon the wreck of a ship, carrying thousands of jars full of garum - a pungent fish sauce used extensively in the cuisines of ancient Rome, Greece and Byzantium. Located 650 feet underwater, off the coast of Alassio in Northern Italy, the 2000-year-old shipwreck was discovered by…
Colombia has stumbled upon what seems to be the biggest treasure shipwreck in history. Found off the coast of Baru, an island near Cartagena in Colombia, the wreck of San Jose is believed to contain coins, gold pieces and precious stones worth between $4 billion and $17 billion. A magnificent 18th century galleon operational during…
A few days ago, the Greek ministry of culture denoted a 3,500-year old warrior grave as the 'most important to have been discovered in 65 years in continental Greece.' But now it seems, another incredible discovery has triumphed it at least in terms of sheer scale. To that end, a joint Greek-American archaeological expedition (with…
In August of 1812, Neva, an important ship of the Russian-American Company, set sail from the Siberian port of Okhotsk, carrying a crew of around 75 men and a consignment of guns and furs. During the three-month voyage, those on board faced terrible gales, illness and water shortages. Before it could reach its destination, however,…
What has the ears of a lion, the mouth of a crocodile, and weighs over 660 lbs? Well, the answer is the wooden figurehead of a mythical beast whose name we probably wouldn't ever know. Salvaged from the Baltic Sea, the exquisitely crafted figurehead of the cryptic monster was found at the prow of a…
Almost 300 years ago on this day, 12 ships of a fleet of 13 were sunk by a hurricane off the coast of Florida. Starting off from Cuba (which was then a Spanish colony), the ships were home-bound to mainland Spain, and as such carried a hoard of valuables. And now in 2015, a team…
2015 has surely been a good year for finding treasures - be it the Fatimid gold coins or the silver decadrachms from Alexander's era. However, this time around, archaeologists may have very well come across the 'mother lode' in terms of sheer value - with researchers pinpointing the location of a shipwreck of a 15th…
Previous archaeological works have yielded more than hundred years old beer and pretzels. Well, this time around we move from 'pedestrian' to 'classy' with the analysis of 170-year old champagne from the Föglö shipwreck. Originally found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea in 2010, the assessment of the 'vintage' liquor (in 168 bottles) entailed…