Latest news with #HeritagefortheFuture
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Divers Found a Sealed Vessel in a 1,100-Year-Old Shipwreck. What's Inside Is Still a Mystery.
A team of divers discovered a 1,100-year-old sealed vessel with a mysterious substance inside. Researchers used robots to retrieve the amphora from a shipwreck 45 to 50 meters beneath the surface. The team believes the ship that carried the amphora sailed off the coast of Gaza, Palestine, to deliver gifts to pilgrims. The Mediterranean Sea has long been a major facilitator of trade, but old stories of sailors on merchant ships were treacherous ones. Hard working conditions, cramped quarters, and unpredictable storms were all part of the job—and unfortunately, rough seas meant shipwrecks. Today, shipwrecks can tell scientists about more than just the vessels and those who sailed them—they also can shed light on the people who lived in port cities. Researchers will look for just that sort of information after a team recently discovered a sealed amphora (or storage jar) that's approximately 1,100 years old off the coast of Antalya, Turkey. With the help of underwater robots, the 20-person dive team retrieved the amphora from a shipwreck 45 to 50 meters (147 to 164 feet) deep. The expedition is yet another part of Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry's ongoing Heritage for the Future project. Once the amphora was in the lab, researchers first examined it with a microscope. The team then spent an hour carefully prying open the mouth of the vessel with chisels, hammers, and other small tools, careful to keep the jar damp to prevent the surface material from drying out. 'The fact that the amphora's mouth remained sealed for over a thousand years is a unique case,' Hakan Öniz—scientific director of the excavation—reportedly said. 'It could contain olive pits, olive oil, wine or fish sauce—but it could also be something entirely unexpected. It is truly an exciting process because this is a sealed amphora. After 1,100 years, it has been opened, and we will only know its contents after the analysis. Opening it was thrilling; waiting for the results is even more exciting.' Researchers are using texture, composition, and even the scent of the material inside the amphora to identify it. According to Öniz, they believe the vessel likely carried wine. The team also believes the ship visited various ports in the 9th and 10th centuries, setting sail for its final journey from the coast of Gaza, Palestine. At the time, Gaza's major export was olive oil, so the wine was likely from the city of Tekirdağ, Turkey. Because local Palestinians didn't drink wine, researchers theorize that the merchant ship was sailing to deliver the wine as a gift to migrants, Christian pilgrims, or those visiting Jerusalem. The ship likely sank after getting caught in a rough storm. As for the future of the amphora, there's a lot more testing to come. 'We will try to understand what happened over the 1,100 years under the sea, subjected to both pressure and temperature fluctuations,' Asiltürk Ersoy—one of the scientists examining the amphora—reportedly said. 'Scientific research cannot rely on a single test; many different analyses must corroborate each other. Therefore, the process will be lengthy. We will combine the analysis results with historical knowledge from the period and present our findings to the worlds of science and archaeology.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Found a Majestic Ancient Statue of Hermes Buried Under a Fountain
Excavations on monumental fountain ruins resulted in the discovery of a statue of Hermes from the Roman Imperial Period. Including its pedestal, the marble statue once stood over 5 feet tall. Other excavations of the site also uncovered pieces from statues of Aphrodite, Eros, Artemis, and Nemesis. Recently, the 'Heritage for the Future' project uncovered a king's mosaic house in Pergamon, Turkey. Archaeologists working on the project thankfully didn't call it a day after that, because they managed to make yet another remarkable find. Excavations on the ruins of a fountain in Aspendos—an ancient Greco-Roman city now located in modern-day Turkey—unearthed a marble statue of the god Hermes. 'Figures that remained buried for centuries in Aspendos, the silent witness of time, have come to light,' Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey's Minister of Culture and Tourism, said in a press release. The initial dig took place in 2024, but excavations in the city are ongoing, according to the release. The statue of Hermes was unearthed in many pieces, and was later pieced back together in the excavation warehouse. Once fully assembled, the sculpture stood at just over 5 feet tall, including its pedestal. The statue depicts Hermes holding a staff in his left hand and a purse in his right, with a billowing cloak hanging from his shoulders. He is seemingly in motion, with his weight shifted onto his left foot and his right leg gently bent, as if stepping forward. At his feet is a ram peering up at him. In Greek mythology, Hermes was known as the fleet-footed messenger of the gods. Son of Zeus and Maia, Hermes was the trickster of the pantheon. In one myth, he stole fellow god Apollo's cattle, consequently becoming the protector of thieves, shepherds, cattle, and merchants. Experts used the stylistic qualities of the statue to date it back to the Roman Imperial Period (between the late 2nd century A.D. to early 3rd century A.D.). Imperial art, also referred to as 'classical' art, is known for its smooth lines, elegant drapery, naturalistic forms, and idealization of the naked body. According to the Center for Public Art History, the most difficult thing for experts to pinpoint is what exactly makes Roman art Roman, but generally, it can be chalked up to the Romans' ability to adapt and combine influences across centuries to make their art unique. Excavations at the site also uncovered pieces of other statues, including heads thought to belong to Aphrodite and Eros. Both deities are associated with sexual, carnal love, but Aphrodite is also known as the goddess of beauty. Many modern words, such as aphrodisiac, are derived from Aphrodite's name, which itself comes from the Greek word for foam: 'aphros.' Both heads reflect similar stylistic qualities to the Hermes statue, and to other pieces of the time. Torso pieces were also found in the same region. Researchers believe they belong to statues of Artemis—goddess of hunting, wildlife, and nature (also known as Diana in Roman mythology)—and Nemesis—symbol of justice, balance, and vengeance. Finds from the ancient city Aspendos contribute to the Heritage for the Future initiative's efforts to invest in archaeological research and contribute to the cultural heritage of the region. 'I would like to sincerely thank the employees of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums who contributed to the project,' Ersoy said, 'and hope that these works we will erect will be beneficial to the cultural and tourism life of our country.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
