Chess pawns, combs and a toothbrush are some of
the new findings brought to light by the underwater excavation of the wreck of
the ship “Mentor” that sank off the island of Kythira in 1802.
The excavation that continues for the fifth
year by the Greek Ephorate of Old Antiquities, was conducted from July 8 to 27.
Among other findings are pieces of furniture,
coins and other personal possessions of the crew. Also pieces of a pulley,
ropes and other metal objects from one of the ship’s masts.
The ship, which was carrying antiquities
plundered from the Parthenon by British diplomat Lord Elgin, was bound for
England via Malta but sank at the entrance of the port of Avlemona southwest
Kythera.
In earlier excavations several objects were
recovered from those that the 10 male crew would have used, including different
types of cookware, glass, ceramic and porcelain, bottles, decorative items,
which were apparently at the officers’ accommodation, coins of the period, two
weapons like pistols, the decoration of a butt shot, bullets of different
calibers three, stone lighters for arms, a small cannon shell, and navigation
equipment, a small compass hand with gold chain and a compass on board.
Among the most significant items recovered were
two ancient silver coins and a bronze coin, discovered between the ballast stones.
The results of this research are particularly
interesting and encouraging, because this ship was intrinsically linked with
the Parthenon sculptures removed by Lord Elgin’s team in Athens, and the
objects recovered from the wreck are indicators of the welfare of seafarer
merchant ships in a turbulent historical period of the Eastern Mediterranean.
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