Italy: The underwater archaeological discovery that overturns the data for the connection with Ancient Greece

Ancient Greek history is overturned and almost rewritten due to a very important discovery on the Italian seabed. Specifically, a few days ago, it was discovered shipwreck of a Corinthian ship with amphorae, vases and ceramic wine glasses in its cargo, objects intended for the high society of that time, with the new archeological discovery drastically changing everything that archaeologists knew about its commercial connections Ancient Greece with southern Italy.

The story of its discovery wreck on the Otranto Strait in Puglia, started in 2018 in the context of the construction of the natural gas pipeline Trans Adriatic Pipeline (ΤΑΡ) for the transport of gas from Azerbaijan to Italy via Greece.

During the works for the pipeline, it was discovered at a depth of 780 meters the shipwreck of objects of the highest archaeological importance.

TAP itself financed the recovery of 22 vessels with a special type of cable-guided submarine and a special suction pump from the ship’s hold.

Archaeologists have found that many of the expensive vessels were “packed” in larger containers to withstand the long sea voyage, with the Italian Ministry of Culture talking about “An unprecedented event in the history of underwater archeology.”

Laboratory tests confirmed that the shipwreck and its objects date back to the 7th century BC. And here lies the significant historical upheaval as well This important discovery chronologically moves the beginning of trade relations between Greece and Greater Greece (ie the Greek colonies in Sicily and Southern Italy) to a greater depth of time. than previously thought.

“Today’s research technologies allow us to locate valuable details from the contents of amphorae and vases, to the variety of olives. [που μεταφέρονταν]”, Pointed out o General Director of the State Museums of Italy, Massimo Ozana, by Italian Minister of Culture Dario Francescini to emphasize in turn that “this is a very rich heritage, which demonstrates the need to return to the investment of underwater and underwater archeology that is able to return to us not only the treasures hidden in our seas, but also our history.” . The Minister, finally, assured that the intention of the ministry is to bring to the surface and the remaining 200 finds that for the time being remain at the bottom, and create a museum.

Greater Greece

For Ancient Greece, the “New World” was not America or India, as in the case of Christopher Columbus, but the ports of southern Italy and Sicily. Gradually, Greek settlers from many Greek cities named these new areas “Greater Greece”. Some of the most important cities in Italy were: Kymi (the first Italian colony, founded in 740 BC from Chalkida and Kymi, Syvaris (720 BC, from Troizina), Taras (706 BC from Sparta), Regio (720 BC from Chalkida), Elea (540 BC) .Ch., From Phocaea) and the Thurians (d. 443 BC, from Athens). In Sicily, the main colonies included the cities: Syracuse (733 BC, founded by Corinth) and Imera (630 BC, Messina).

Due to this important geographical location of these colonies, they soon began to become very common trade contacts between the great civilizations of that time, namely the Greeks, the Etruscans and the Phoenicians, resulting in economic prosperity, both for these cities themselves and for their inhabitants.

In fact, it is characteristic that some of these colonies in turn created their own colonies, extending even further the Greek influence, with Kyrenia most notable in North Africa in 630 BC.