wreck rap PanareaBack to the Future III — GUE Helps Advance Underwater Archaeology Text by Francesco Spaggiari and Alba Mazza Edited by Michael Menduno. Photos courtesy of GUE 6 X-RAY MAG : 64 : 2015 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO wreck rap The expedition ship, Pacific Provider, off the coast of Stromboli (left); Nomad sub explores the Formingas Reef Wall (far left); Divers work near the amphora field (below) This is a “black and blue” evidence dating back seven mil- and deep underwater cliffs, made story of Panarea III, a lenia shows that the archipelago a perfect spot for deep-water was the center of short and long shipwrecks. 2,200-year-old shipwreck distance commercial networks. An active volcanic archipelago discovered in the Mediter- Mycenaean and Egyptian north of Sicily, lava, obsidian and ranean just north of Sicily. pottery show the islands were a volcanic ash formed the Aeolian prehistoric crossroads for people Islands more than 500,000 years The Aeolian Archipelago is a from all over the Mediterranean. ago. The Aeolian Sea, a legend- group of seven volcanic islands Carthaginian, Greek, Roman, ary ocean popular in myths and north of Sicily, Italy. The islands are Arab and Norman archaeologi- legends, has an intense shade of listed as UNESCO World Heritage cal artefacts show that the islands blue and a spectacular deep- sites both for their unique natural were crucial stepping-stones ness, taking our team of divers environment on land and under- for naval battles and used as from Global Underwater Explorers water, and for their oral tradition. reference points for navigation (GUE) to depths of 130m in the The archipelago is named after through the Messina Strait. Mediterranean. Aeolus, the mythological Greek This millenary history of conquest god of the wind, and perhaps for and sea supremacy is reinforced The dream good reason. The wind, together by the discovery of dozens of Explore, dream, discover are the began more than 18 years ago search of ancient civilizations. the research, an inevitable con- with strong currents, unpredicta- shipwrecks, especially around first words that come to mind when I accidentally came across Since that day, when I was still sequence of long, hard work that ble weather conditions, make the the islands of Filicudi, Lipari and when recollecting the great ad- in my first amphora. This chance called a boy, my journey as an often takes one away from the islands one of the most dangerous Panarea. The island of Panarea venture our team experienced find indelibly marked my life by explorer has evolved. I studied, sea, into the midst of books and places for seafarers to navigate. in particular, which is surrounded this summer in the sea of Sicily. It's lighting a fire that even today, I listened and I learned that the university classrooms. Nonetheless, archaeological by dangerous reefs, surface rocks a dream come true, a dream that years later, pushes me to go in discovery is only a small part of Today I do not leave anything 7 X-RAY MAG : 64 : 2015 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Divers clean pillar near amphorae (left); Diver wreck and sub examine rap amphorae (below) crucial moment in the history of the Roman Empire and the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, Panarea III reveals the tragedy behind the wreckage, the loss of human lives. This is not an ordi- nary story of a master and its crew, the unexpected event of a storm and its subsequent shipwreck. The ship's history is a voyage into the most sacred beliefs of a community. The seabed around Panarea was extensively investigated in 2010 by the Soprintendenza del Mare (the Regional Department for Underwater Heritage) directed by Sebastiano Tusa and Mar- tin Gibbs, chief archaeologist of the Aurora Trust foundation. The preliminary geo-acoustic survey detected more than 20 sensitive targets between 50m to chance, and this does not limit my The team conducted the emotion and my desire to discover study of two ships, Greek and but rather intensifies it, because it is Roman, with the aid of Triton only then, when you know you have submersibles. Scientists were a chance, that you really enjoy and able to dive with no time understand the deep meaning of an limits and study live wrecks—a emotion. unique experience that al- Now when I see a wreck of a Roman lowed us to collect an amaz- or Greek ship from more than 2,000 ing array of data and findings. years ago, I can enjoy every single And this was just the begin- detail of that time capsule, which con- ning. A collaboration between tains within itself a bit of human history. Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) and the Sicilian govern- Diving into the future ment is underway to develop What happened this summer repre- an ambitious research pro- sents the future of underwater archeol- ject of exploration and study LEARN MORE ogy, and I say this without presumption, of deep wrecks and water because what we achieved was the management in the Aeolian result not only of training, but of years Archipelago. The project sets invested by participants, in time and the stage for the beginning resources, to accomplish this feat. We of a new era of underwater created a team of explorers that for archaeology. the loss of very expensive commercial and 150m. The Panarea III was one of the first time saw action at the same cargo, the shipwreck also reveals new them. time as researchers and government The ship and unexpected commercial net- institutions, by using innovative tech- Panarea III is not only the material evi- works, which shed light on the social, Untouched for 4,200 years nologies. dence of economic damage due to political and military dynamics at a The shipwreck is positioned on a sandy 8 X-RAY MAG : 64 : 2015 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO wreck rap The Training Agency for Educators since 1995 scubasnsi.com ies of this decade, not only as an crucial moment in the history of the Francesco Spaggiari is a profes- experimental site for the improve- Roman Empire, and the people of sional technical diver and instruc- ment of deep-sea technologies the time. No matter if they where tor for GUE (Global Underwater and techniques for scientific ar- sailors, masters or generals, friends Explorers) and Alba Mazza is an chaeological investigation, but or enemies, through sailing, pray- Italian archaeologist with the Uni- also as an important piece of ing, fighting, they all shared a com- versity of Sydney in Australia. information, which sheds light on a mon sea: the Mediterranean. Diver documents artifacts at Panarea III shipwreck site platform at 130m, near an iso- and the Messina Strait, required tween the Romans and the Punics lated area of volcanic rock. The the protection of the gods. The for sea supremacy. archaeological site, untouched altar was used to perform religious The ship could have belonged for more than 4,200 years, ap- ceremonies to protect the voy- to an allied town of Campania pears out of the blue as an oval- age, and practices often required (Neapolis, Capua, Velia or other shaped assemblage of hundreds sacrifice of small animals such us Greek-speaking town) supplying of amphorae and other ceramic birds. the Roman war fleet with food, containers. In addition, the lead The spectacular discovery of a or maybe it was a supply vessel part of the wood and lead an- rare and expensive object like the to the fleet of the Roman general chor has been identified on top of sacrificial altar sheds light on the Claudio Marcello who conquered the volcanic rock. The remains of most intimate religious aspect of Syracuse in 212 BC, where Archi- the wooden structure of the ship- early navigations. The altar, deco- medes was killed. However, the wreck haven’t been found so far; rated by sea waves and a myste- ship could also have been a mer- they are most likely resting under rious inscription in Greek letters on chant ship owned by a wealthy the amphorae layer. the base, is currently under inves- merchant, trading wine or oil from The cargo was composed of tigation by Soprintendenza del a Greek-speaking town in the several archaeological artifacts. Mare and the University of Sydney. area of Naples. There are wine amphorae from The preliminary investigation The reason that the ship sank Campania and Pompeii; Punic suggests that the ship was sailing was likely due to the dangerous amphorae from Cartage or from from southern Italy towards Sic- reefs and surface rocks near the Sicily, whose contents are still un- ily (or vice versa) approximately island of Panarea. The unpredict- known; and there are plates, cups during the late 3rd century BC or able weather conditions and the and stone mills. the beginning of the 2nd century difficulty of finding protected bays One of the most interesting finds BC. This is an important period in made even the easiest journey of the Panarea III shipwreck was a the history of the Mediterranean through these islands challenging sacrificial altar. The uncertainties Sea and the Roman Empire. It is to navigate. and perils at sea, especially in this the time of the Second Punic War The Panarea III shipwreck is one area of the Mediterranean Sea (218-201 BC) and the battles be- of the most important discover- Diver at amphorae field of Panarea III shipwreck 9 X-RAY MAG : 64 : 2015 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO wreck Customizing worldwide scuba diving rap University of Delaware and adventures travel arrangements locates WWII plane for discerning travelers wrecks in the Pacific Project Recover is a collaborative effort to enlist 21st century science and technology in a quest to find Wreck Beer Recreated the final underwater resting places of Americans In the summer of 2010, divers salvaged beer and missing in action since World War II.