Archaeologists have discovered ancient and medieval shipwrecks off Kasos Island in the Dodecanese, according to the Greek Culture Ministry. The finds include parts of the ships’ cargoes as well as possible ancient port infrastructure.
A team of archaeologists led by Dr. George Koutsouflakis, recently discovered five pyramid-shaped stone anchors at a wreck dating to the Late Classical period. The 2,300-year-old ship carried a cargo of amphorae, pottery, and parts of storage jars, according to the report. The further discovery of cargo and stone anchors suggest a connection to the 4th century B.C. Antidragonera wreck that lies off Kythira.
Other finds on the shipwrecks off Karos include amphorae, anchors, iron cannons, and tableware that date back to the Byzantine period and later. These finds also indicate there are more shipwrecks in the area between Rhodes and Crete. This region thrived as an ancient sea land in between the Aegean and the Middle East for thousands of years.
Dr. Koutsouflakis gained fame from his involvement in the discovery of at least 58 ancient shipwrecks in the Fournoi Archipelago. In a collaboration with Dr. Peter Campbell of the RPM Nautical Foundation, Koutsouflakis and the rest of the team shed more light on cargo traveling through the Aegean, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea throughout history, and how many met their fate in sudden storms and surrounded by rocky cliffs in the area.
Feature image: Courtesy the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation