Underwater Dig off Delos Uncovers Shipwrecks, Port Structures

A series of underwater excavations carried out off the island of Delos in the Cyclades, has brought to the fore ancient coastal structures, a port and shipwrecks, the Greek culture ministry announced on Monday.

The finds “confirm that Delos was an important trade hub and a significant maritime trade route through the ages, linking the Eastern and Western Mediterranean,” the ministry announcement said.

“Research results aid us in completing the archaeological and historic picture of Delos, further reinforcing the need to continue with the systematic underwater exploration of the island.”

Carried out by the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities in collaboration with the French Archaeological School and the National Hellenic Research Foundation between May 2 and May 20, the excavations also revealed other finds including ruins of walls, the remains of a later Hellenistic-era shipwreck carrying amphorae, as well as two more shipwrecks off the southern tip of Delos, in Fylladi Bay.

Near Mykonos, the islet of Delos was a holy sanctuary and according to Greek mythology the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.