Kárpatos: Shipwrecks & Anchors
Off Kárpatos island Greek archaeologists found multiple shipwrecks plus Byzantine anchors and port remains, directly linking the site to long-distance maritime trade routes (x.com). The assemblage suggests the island hosted sustained seafaring activity — a rare coastal complex that can trace commerce, ship technology and harbor use across periods (x.com).
The Hellenic Ministry of Culture’s Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities led the campaign in collaboration with the National Hellenic Research Foundation’s Institute of Historical Research, beginning systematic surveys around Karpathos in October 2025 as part of a program launched in 2019. (greekreporter.com) Field teams completed more than 120 dives reaching depths up to 45 metres around northern Karpathos and the islet of Saria, documenting material that spans roughly 2,600 years from the late 7th century BC to the mid‑19th century AD. (greekreporter.com) Surveyors recorded five wrecks — four ancient vessels and one modern‑era loss — recovered amphorae, mapped submerged port infrastructure, and identified a cluster of over 20 Byzantine anchors near Tristomo. (greekreporter.com) The expedition included over 40 international specialists, with participation from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and the Norwegian Maritime Museum, and implemented a pilot in‑situ conservation programme funded by the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation. (greekreporter.com) The work is embedded in the Kasos‑Karpathos Maritime Archaeological Project and the HALOES research stream (2025–2026), which received a targeted €8,000 research grant to study perishable cargoes and trial innovative mapping methodologies. (kasosproject.com) Specialists note that the recovered amphorae types, anchors and port remains provide new chronological anchors for refining models of southeast Aegean trade routes and will be subject to typological study and scientific dating in follow‑up analyses. (labrujulaverde.com)
