On the course of ancient ships
A project devoted to locating ancient shipwrecks between Santorini and Crete is due to start in 2006. Experts believe that the area was a passage zone for cargo ships in antiquity and that consequently, shipwrecks are likely to be found there. The program will be headed by Professor Robert Ballard of the University of Rhode Island in the US, who was involved in the search for the wreck of the Titanic. HCMR has cooperated productively with the Marine Antiquities Service. Surveyors from the Oceanography Institute and archaeologists recently found ancient shipwrecks off the coast of Mt Athos which may be from the fleet of Xerxes, and near Kythnos they discovered a ship dating to 400 BC. «Our cooperation with the Marine Antiquities Service has brought important results. We hope that we will soon have some more significant successes,» said Chronis.
