Excavation of Cyprus Shipwreck Begins

A team from The University of Cyprus, the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus, and the THETIS Foundation, have recently begun a project to study and excavate a wreck that's believed to be over 2,000 years old.  The wreck, discovered in 2007, lies off Mazotos, Cyrpus and carried a cargo of wine from Chios. The wine collection is one of the most expensive and sought after Greek wines.

The excavation project is expected to reveal information about ancient seafaring routes and trade that took place in the region at the time.  

Dr. Stella Demesticha, a maritime archeologist with The University of Cyprus, will  be presenting a lecture, "Underwater Archaeology: Excavation at the Mazotos Shipwreck," at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC on February 17, 2011 at 7:00 pm.  The presentation includes photographs and accounts of the excavation dives.