Antikythera Shipwreck Excavation Sheds New Light on Life at Sea!
The 2025 excavation season at the iconic Antikythera shipwreck has unveiled a treasure trove of new findings, offering rare insights into ancient shipbuilding techniques, maritime trade, and everyday life aboard ships in the Mediterranean.
Photo Credit: Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (ESAG)
From 23 May to 20 June, the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (ESAG) carried out an international underwater excavation campaign under the guidance of Greece’s Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities. The project was co-led by Professor Lorenz Baumer from the University of Geneva and Dr Angeliki Simosi, Honorary Director of Antiquities, and supported by a team of expert diver-archaeologists along with Greece’s elite Underwater Missions Unit from the Hellenic Coast Guard.
Among the most remarkable finds this season was a set of hull fragments still connected in situ, three outer planks still attached to an interior frame. Originally spotted in 2024, the pieces were carefully recovered this year with the help of a custom-designed support structure. The wooden remains, believed to be made from elm and oak, measured approximately 0.40 metres in width and 0.70 metres in length, and are tentatively dated to around 235 BCE.
Photo Credit: Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (ESAG)
The way the ship was built reveals the use of the “shell-first” method, where the outer shell of the ship was constructed before the internal frame. This technique was widely employed across the Mediterranean between the 4th and 1st centuries BCE. What has intrigued archaeologists, however, is the discovery that these planks are less than 5 cm thick, much thinner than those recovered by Jacques-Yves Cousteau back in 1976. Researchers are currently analysing whether these components belonged to the ship’s upper structure, were part of a repair, or possibly came from a smaller support vessel.
Additional wooden fragments were also found near the original Cousteau excavation site, often in association with lead, copper, and traces of tar, materials likely used in the caulking and maintenance of the vessel. These remnants provide important evidence of the techniques used to keep ancient ships seaworthy.
It wasn’t all about shipbuilding, though. This season’s dig also brought to light fragments of classical sculpture. While moving a large rock, divers uncovered parts of a nude male statue posed in the traditional contrapposto stance. So far, only the marble base and part of the left leg have been retrieved; the rest remains embedded in hardened seabed concretions and will be recovered in a future campaign.
Photo Credit: Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (ESAG)
The ship’s cargo continues to surprise and inform. In 2025, amphorae from the island of Chios were discovered in two separate areas, pointing to a broader diversity of goods than previously assumed. A particularly intriguing find was a terracotta mortar with a spout, possibly used for grinding or mixing food ingredients. Such a domestic item hints at daily culinary practices aboard the vessel, giving us a more intimate view of life at sea.
As with the 2024 season, the team utilised advanced diving equipment including closed-circuit rebreathers, and real-time monitoring was conducted with underwater drones, thanks to Hublot Xplorations. The entire site was meticulously mapped using 3D photogrammetry and integrated into a geographic information system (GIS), enabling researchers to cross-reference new finds with previous discoveries. A mobile lab stationed on the nearby island of Antikythera allowed for immediate preliminary analysis of recovered artefacts.
These latest finds only add to the Antikythera shipwreck’s reputation as one of the most important underwater archaeological sites in the world. As the 2025 data continues to be studied, researchers anticipate it will deepen our understanding of ancient seafaring culture while helping to preserve a fragile but invaluable chapter of human history slowly emerging from the depths.