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Ancient Shipwreck in Aegean Yields Treasure

By Peter R | Update Date: Oct 12, 2014 12:40 AM EDT

A century after it was first discovered, archeologists have again found treasures in the biggest known ancient shipwreck.

The shipwreck in the Aegean Sea off the island of Antikythera was first discovered in 1900. Divers who ventured to extract its treasures then had found valuables in big quantities including statues, jewelry, furniture, glassware and a complex astronomical calculator, NBC News reported.

"In 1901, four giant marble horses were discovered on the wreck by the sponge divers, so these could have formed part of a complex of statues involving a warrior in a chariot that was pulled by the four horses," a press release said.

Archeologists who revisited the shipwreck in September this year found a 6.5 foot long spear, lead anchors, and intact table jug.  The spear is from a statue of goddess Athena or from a warrior statue.

"The evidence shows this is the largest ancient shipwreck ever discovered. "It's the Titanic of the ancient world," Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute marine archaeologist Brendan Foley  said according to CTV News.

During their visit, the experts also created a high-resolution 3 D map of the shipwreck. They now believe that the wreck is bigger than previously assumed. The maps suggest that the wreckage may span 300 meters and the ship itself was 50 meters long.

"The finds, particularly the bronze spear, are very promising. We have a lot of work to do at this site to uncover its secrets," said Theotokis Theodoulou of Hellenic Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, in a statement.

As the shipwreck is too deep for divers to dive with regular scuba gear, divers had used a semi-robotic diving suit.

According to IB Times, the ship was probably traveling from Asia Minor to Rome between 70 BC and 60 BC. The cargo contained Greek treasures which sank along with the ship when it crashed against the cliffs of Antikythera. 

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