Shipwrecks Thread

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de officiis
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Shipwrecks Thread

Post by de officiis »

Seems as though news of these pop up often enough to deserve a separate thread.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER PERFECTLY PRESERVED 2000-YEAR-OLD ROMAN SHIP, 20 OTHER SHIPWRECKS IN BLACK SEA OFF BULGARIA’S COAST

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A perfectly preserved almost 2,000-year-old Roman ship is the most intriguing discovery from the third and final research season of the international Black Sea MAP underwater archaeology project – among a total of 20 other previously unknown ancient and medieval ships on the bottom of the Black Sea of Bulgaria’s coast.

Below 150 meters (app. 500 feet) the Black Sea’s water is anoxic, preventing the growth and development of organisms that feed on organic materials, such as wood and flesh.

In 2016, Black Sea M.A.P. made global headlines with the discovery of the world’s first ever well preserved sunken “round ship" (a cog), a medieval Mediterranean ship which was a precursor to the Age of Discovery vessels such as the ones on which Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic, in Bulgaria’s Black Sea zone.
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The team of world-­renowned underwater archaeology scientists returned from their third and final field season in Bulgaria’s Black Sea zone to the port of Burgas.

“This assemblage of [well-preserved Black Sea shipwrecks] must comprise one of the finest underwater museums of ships and seafaring in the world," the project’s Chief Investigator, Prof. Jon Adams from the University of Southampton, has said.

The expedition’s best “find" of 2017 is a Roman ship lying in over 2,000 meters of water, with its mast still standing, both quarter rudders with their tillers still attached and the yards lying on deck where they fell.

Rope is still draped over the frames due to the extraordinary preservation of organic materials in the Black Sea’s anoxic conditions. The relatively slight damage at the bow and stern was sustained at the time of wrecking.

Black Sea M.A.P.’s Chief Investigator has also noted another stunning find from the 2017 field season, a 10th century Byzantine merchant ship.

“We dived on one wreck, a merchant vessel of the Byzantine period dating to the 10th century. It lies at a depth of 93 meters that puts it into the diving range so we took the opportunity to visually inspect certain structural features first hand," Adams explains.

“The condition of this wreck below the sediment is staggering, the structural timber looks as good as new," he adds.

“This suggested far older wrecks must exist and indeed even in the few days since the dive we have discovered three wrecks considerably older, including one from the Hellenistic period and another that may be older still," the maritime archaeologists elaborates.

In the course of the Black Sea MAP’s surveys, these wrecks have been unearthed using the latest robotic laser scanning, acoustic and photogrammetric techniques, the organizers point out.

This represents an unbroken pattern of trade and exchange, warfare and communication that reaches back into Prehistory, and because of the anoxic conditions of the Black Sea (the lack of oxygen) below a certain depth, some of the wrecks survive in incredible condition.

“We have never seen anything like this before. This is history in the making unfolding before us," says Dr. Krum Bachvarov, from the University of Connecticut and the National Institute and Museum of Archaeology in Sofia.
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“The vessels represent the Roman and Byzantine periods, and the time of Ancient Greek colonization. The discovered shipwrecks will undoubtedly rewrite the history of ancient shipbuilding," he elaborates.
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C-Mag
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Re: Shipwrecks Thread

Post by C-Mag »

That's pretty cool
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heydaralon
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Re: Shipwrecks Thread

Post by heydaralon »

People often underestimate the ingenuity of ancient people. Clearly the Phonecians, Romans and even the Spanish had the technology to make submersible vehicles. These ancient submarines were capable of exploring the ocean floor. This utilization of submarines would have given these civilizations the ability to engage effective naval warfare and perhaps even deepsea fish. Perhaps the Romans used these wooden subs to defeat Hannibal or given Phillip II's armada an excellent advantage over the English navy. Since these old ships were found on the ocean floor, we know they were submarines. The only thing I don't understand is how the societies from thousands of years ago were able to keep an air supply going while their vessels were submerged because to my knowledge archeologists have not located any oxygen tanks. It seems like once these old wooden ships went underwater, their crews would drown. There is definitely a piece of the puzzle Im missing, but I have no doubt that these subs worked quite well. Maybe they used wooden pipes or reeds that were on the surface of the water to get get air down to the men. Who knows. We will have to wait until more evidence "surfaces" (no pun intended).
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de officiis
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Re: Shipwrecks Thread

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See Wreckage of Vessel That Fired First American Shot in WWII
At 7:53 am on December 7, 1941, Japanese war planes attacked the American base at Pearl Harbor. Yet just an hour earlier, the U.S.S. Ward fired at a Japanese midget submarine just outside the harbor's entrance. It is considered the first shot fired by the U.S. in World War II.

The . . . destroyer, which was ultimately attacked by kamikazes and sunk in 1944, had been unseen for 73 years—until now.

New video shows what remains of the U.S.S. Ward where it lies at the bottom of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. While the location of the destroyer has been known since its sinking, it's the first time the wreck of the vessel has been seen. Underwater footage taken by the R/V Petrel, an exploration ship owned by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, shows the visible remains of the 250-foot ship now overgrown with vegetation.

Capturing . . . images of the Ward was no easy task. The remains sit more than three miles below the surface, and a combination of sonar scanning, underwater cameras, and remotely operated vehicles reached the historic ship.
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heydaralon
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Re: Shipwrecks Thread

Post by heydaralon »

de officiis wrote:Image

See Wreckage of Vessel That Fired First American Shot in WWII
At 7:53 am on December 7, 1941, Japanese war planes attacked the American base at Pearl Harbor. Yet just an hour earlier, the U.S.S. Ward fired at a Japanese midget submarine just outside the harbor's entrance. It is considered the first shot fired by the U.S. in World War II.

The . . . destroyer, which was ultimately attacked by kamikazes and sunk in 1944, had been unseen for 73 years—until now.

New video shows what remains of the U.S.S. Ward where it lies at the bottom of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. While the location of the destroyer has been known since its sinking, it's the first time the wreck of the vessel has been seen. Underwater footage taken by the R/V Petrel, an exploration ship owned by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, shows the visible remains of the 250-foot ship now overgrown with vegetation.

Capturing . . . images of the Ward was no easy task. The remains sit more than three miles below the surface, and a combination of sonar scanning, underwater cameras, and remotely operated vehicles reached the historic ship.
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I'm having quite a bit of trouble believing this story, not least of all because I can clearly see the ship in this picture that is not only unsubmerged, but in what appears to be perfect working order. Care to explain that one to me? Three miles down my ass!
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de officiis
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Re: Shipwrecks Thread

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USS Lexington Wreck Located in Coral Sea
The USS Lexington was found 3km (2 miles) underwater in the Coral Sea, about 800km off Australia's east coast.

The ship was lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea, fought with Japan from 4-8 May 1942. More than 200 crew members died in the fighting.

The US Navy confirmed the ship had been discovered by a search team led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

Pictures showed the wreck to be well preserved.
The discovery of the Lexington, along with 11 of its 35 aircraft, was made by Mr Allen's company Vulcan on Sunday.
The pictures are definitely worth taking a look.
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