Since the beginning of the second half of the twentieth century, when new technology allowed archaeologists to make new discoveries in places previously beyond their reach, incredible underwater discoveries have been made in places both remote and near today’s population centers. Offering incredible insight into past civilizations, these underwater treasure troves include ancient cities, shipwrecks, and paleontological finds. Let’s take a peek at ten of the best.
The Wreck of the Mary Rose
On the fateful date of July 19th, 1545, Henry VIII’s flagship, the Mary Rose, sank during an engagement with the French fleet in the English Channel. Built between 1509 and 1511, the Mary Rose had a 32 meter keel and an estimated length of 38.5 meters at the waterline. Her remains indicate that she had a hold and four decks.
After lying beneath layers of silt and clay for centuries, the ship was discovered by diver Alexander McKee and electrical engineer Harold E. Edgerton, who is credited with developing side-scan sonar. After years of excavation, the wreck was raised and brought to Portsmouth, England. To date, she is the only 16th century warship on display. With an amazing inventory of over two thousand artifacts, the raised wreckage of the Mary Rose is on display in Portsmouth, at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. If you visit England, be sure to put this ship on your itinerary.
The Vasa
Lost on her maiden voyage in 1628, two years after Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus ordered her to be built; the Vasawas was intended to be the world’s most powerful warship. Due to faulty planning and rushed construction, the 69 meter long ship was top heavy and sank within minutes of being launched, killing around 30 of the 150 people who were on board. With 64 guns, more than 700 impressive carved sculptures and four decks, thousands of artifacts, and even much of the rigging, including six original sails intact after hundreds of years underwater, the Vasa was raised in 1961, and is now housed at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. The only fully preserved 17th century warship, she can normally be visited seven days a week.
The Cape Gelidonya Wreck
Named for the cape where she was discovered in 27 meters of water, the late Bronze Age cargo vessel (c. 1200 BC) which was discovered in 1954 and excavated in 1960, was the planet’s very first underwater archaeological dig. Pioneering underwater archaeologist George Bass led his team to the wreck, which was discovered with a cargo of tin and copper ingots, along with personal artifacts belonging to the ship’s crew. Today, the last bits of the wreck are being excavated, and eventually, the entire collection will be on display at the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology. You can see some pieces there now, along with pieces from the 16th century BC wreck Seytan Deresi, the Uluburun, and others.
Uluburun
Like the Cape Gelidonya wreck, the Uluburun wreckage is now housed at the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology. The richest and most extensive collection of Late Bronze Age artifacts to be discovered in the Mediterranean to date, this ship was carrying a cargo that included ivory from hippopotamus tusks, tin and copper ingots, thousands of beads carved from quartz and amber, ebony logs, and even a protective goddess molded from copper and gold. Dating back to 1306, the wreck was excavated during the decade between 1984 and 1994, by a team from the Institute of Nautical Archaeology led by Cemal Pulak. If you plan to dive the Mediterranean, make sure you stop at the museum.
Atlit-Yam
An entire pre-pottery Neolithic settlement located off the coast of Israel about six miles south of Haifa, Atlit-Yam was discovered by marine archaeologist Ehud Galili in 1984. Dating back to as early as 6,900 BCE, the city is located at depths between 26 and 40 feet, and covers more than 15 acres. With the remains of several houses and pits which were probably wells, plus a set of seven standing stones that appear to have surrounded a freshwater spring, Atlit-Yam is also the site of the discovery of several weapons, plant and animal remains, and even human remains buried in flexed positions in situ. To date, 65 skeletons have been unearthed, in and around dwellings. With evidence of religion, including ancestor worship and water site worship, fishing, hunting, and even grain storage, this important site shows that people in the Neolithic era were much more sophisticated than previously believed. Evidence shows that the settlement was abandoned hurriedly, probably due to a tsunami that followed the eruption of Mount Etna approximately 8,500 years ago. Interestingly, the skeletons show signs of inner ear damage, leading scientists to suspect that they engaged in free diving. Excursions to the site are led by archaeologists from Haifa University; diving is possible, but space is limited.
Windover Pond
Located near Titusville, Florida, an early Archaic graveyard with burials dating to as far as 6,900 to 8,100 years ago was discovered when a backhoe operator noticed skeletal remains while working on a road project in 1982, near a shallow muck pond. The Windover Bog People, as these ancient bodies have come to be called, were preserved in peat and were wrapped in fabric that appears to have been made on a loom. 91 skulls and several complete bodies were found, ranging in age from infants to adults. Grave goods found with the bodies included carved artifacts of antler, bone, and wood. The pond was only half excavated, and research is ongoing. You can view many artifacts, along with some of the remains, at the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science.
Aucilla River
To date, there are more than 75 submerged Paleoindian sites located along the Aucilla River in Northwest Florida. The sites have been gradually excavated since 1995, when a team from the Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida first began. Although this site is just five miles from the gulf coast today, it was more than 100 miles from the ocean 10,000 years ago, when it was inhabited by people who used flint and chert tools. Animal remains and human remains, including remains in graves, have been uncovered, and are still being discovered today. You can visit the site through the Florida Museum of Natural History if you like, and the museum itself houses a vast collection of artifacts which have been unearthed.
Kubilai Khan’s Fleet
In the year 1281, Kubilai Khan was said to have sent a legendary fleet of 4,400 ships to invade Japan. The Japanese emperor prayed for assistance, and that night, the entire fleet along with the more than 100,000 troops on board, were destroyed by a wind called the Kamikaze. Since the 1980’s evidence of the lost fleet of Kubilai Khan have been uncovered off the island of Takashima in Imari Bay. Artifacts include a bronze seal engraved in Chinese and Mongolian, along with anchors, swords, human remains, and even ceramic Tetsuhau bombs. Due to the evidence which has been uncovered to date, it is thought that Kubilai Khan’s fleet consisted of hundreds, not thousands, of ships – still impressive. One reason for the fleet’s failure is that many of the boats used were river boats, and most appear to have been hastily constructed. You can see artifacts at the Takashima Museum of Folk History and Culture.
Port Royal, Jamaica
Possibly best known for its tales of pirates and privateers, which earned it the title of the “Wickedest City on Earth,” Jamaica’s Port Royal is also filled with clues regarding 17th century Caribbean colony life. When England captured the colony from the Spanish in 1655, it became an even more important hub for trade in everything from sugar to slaves. On June 7th of 1692, an earthquake caused almost 70 percent of the city to slide into the sea. While buildings near the harbor collapsed as they sank, those further away remained largely intact, preserving human remains and artifacts inside. To date, eight buildings have been fully excavated, uncovering pottery from China, along with pottery and porcelain from local sources, plus many other personal effects ranging from shoes to clay pipes. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the sunken city of Port Royal sits at depths between 10 and 35 feet and is still being excavated.
Roskilde
Toward the end of the 11th century, the Danish capital of Roskilde was in danger of attack by enemies from Norway. In an act of desperation, the Danes intentionally capsized five of their own ships in Roskilde Fjord, about 12 miles north of the city. Intended to act as an underwater blockade, these vessels have been slowly unearthed since the 17th century. In 1962, archaeologists from the National Museum of Denmark drained the site and fully excavated the ships, naming them after the nearby town of Skuldelev. Today, all five of the ships, which include a hunting ship, two warships, and two merchant ships, can be seen at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, along with many other incredible maritime artifacts. Working replicas, including the Sea Stallion, which is a replica of the Skuldelev 2, have completed successful voyages.
As new advances in technology allow us to dive even deeper and uncover even more amazing underwater sites, archaeologists are certain to make even more discoveries. Divers can often join expeditions; if you are interested, expect to put in long hours, sleep in unusual places, and eat a lot of fish – but be prepared to reveal extraordinary things!