In 1965 a Cypriot diver came upon a pile of ancient amphorae at a depth of 30m about one mile off shore, but was not located again for another two years. In 1967, Professor Michael Katzev of the University of Pennsylvania Museum began surveying the coast of Cyprus for ancient sea wrecks. Five shipwrecks were found. Four were found in water less than 23m.: one off the northwest coast of Akamas and three off Cape Andreas, the northeastern peninsula.
It was the Kyrenia ship, though, that was selected for excavation because it was preserved by a protective layer of sand and a thick growth of eel grass. In cooperation with the Department of Antiquities of the Republic of Cyprus a team of over 30 archaeologists, students and underwater technicians came to Kyrenia, on the north coast of Cyprus, for the duration of the project.
Excavating Procedures
Only 1/5 of the cargo was visible, but over a period of eight years, three quarters of the ship was raised and restored - the keel, planks, the frames, the lead sheathing and other parts.
20-26 divers worked in teams underwater for about 35 minutes once in the morning and once in the afternoon. They were able to confer with their colleagues on the surface through a closed circuit telephone placed in an inverted hemispherical booth supplied with piped air – a first in underwater exploration.
First the eelgrass had to be cut away in sections. Using a water jet and compressed air more buried amphorae were revealed. An air-suction tool and a simple underwater dredge sucked away the muddied sand. Plastic piping grids marked out the areas for excavation. Stereo photography was used to show clearly the three dimensional size of the objects. Before they were taken to the surface using cradles and lifting balloons.
Artifacts from the Kyrenia Ship
There were over 400 amphorae sealed inside with resin to contain wine from Rhodos. In addition to various domestic utensils, fishing weights and coins, concreted objects (iron spears, ship’s tools, olive pits, seeds, nuts) were carefully extracted using a vibrotool. Replicas of the iron objects were cast using a polysulphide rubber compound. As the excavation penetrated deeper, 27 millstones, likely from Kos or Nysiros, were revealed stacked in three rows along the keel.
Two seasons later it was time for the 15m hull to be excavated. The strakes, still joined to the frames with copper nails, and the ceiling planking at its original height helped preserved the original curvature of the ship. Lead sheets protecting the hull even carried regular rows of bronze tacks. Two spare rolls of lead sheeting were found stored on board.
Preserving the Kyrenia Wreck
The Carbon 14 method of dating revealed the ship had been built around 388 B.C.E. The 2000 year old timbers of Aleppo pine were carefully tagged and protected. The ship could not be raised as a whole because the wood had absorbed the seawater and resembled soaked bread. The various pieces were raised to the surface and taken to Kyrenia castle.
There they were immersed in fresh water baths to remove all traces of sand and sea water, dried and soaked in a synthetic wax (polyethylene glycol) and placed in nylon bags on warmed shelves until normal temperatures were reached. If allowed to dry naturally the wood would crack and distort. Finally after a whole year, the wax layer was removed revealing the wood with all its original markings!
The ship was then painstakingly reassembled. The ship and its cargo were then housed and put on display in a specially air conditioned gallery in the heart of Kyrenia castle, where it can still be viewed today.
Sources:
National Geographic Society Research Reports
Cyprus Underwater Archaeological Search Michael Katsev 1974
