The Significance of Classical Period Shipwrecks in the Aegean

The Delian League (477-404 BCE) was ultimately maintained with a strong Athenian navy

Grain (mostly from the region of the Black Sea) and wine were the two most importantcommodities that were transhipped across the Aegean (to Athens) in the Delian League(based on chronicles of Thucydides and others)

Grain from theBlack Sea region

Athenians drank muchwine from this region

Attic Black Figurebowl

Athenians drank muchwine from this region

X Alonnesosshipwreck

The Alonnesos shipwreck (ca. 430-400 BCE, in the Northern Sporades island group):date of the shipwreck established with stylistic study of the amphoras (over 1000 visible)

Athenians drank muchwine from this region

Fisherman alerts the Greek Ministry of Culture: Greek Ministryof Culture begins excavation in 1991 with few resources

Showing the 8m2 extent of the excavation

Showing the origin of manufacture of the recovered amphorasand bowls

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amphoras

amphoras

bowls

What have archaeologists gained from the excavation of theAlonnesos shipwreck?

**It was the first Classical Period shipwreck to be excavated

**The merchantman was very large (ca. 22 x 8 m), much larger than anymerchantman excavated from contemporary or earlier periods(though no hull remains were identified)

Showing the 8m2 extent of the excavation (with no hull remains)

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Mendean amphoras

amphoras

Attic bowls

Mende: a Greek colony and major wineproducer and exporter that belongedto the Delian League (though sided briefly with Sparta during the Peloponnesian War)

What have archaeologists and historians gained from the excavation of the Alonnesos shipwreck?

Mende

What might this ship have looked like? Possibilities on Attic Black Figure pottery

The larger merchant ships during the Classical Periodmoved under sail and were rowed(called kerkouroi)

To the other side of the Aegean: the Classical Period Tektaş Burnu shipwreck excavation

XTektaş BurnuX

Ionia

The shipwreck was discovered during a systematic survey by the Institute of Nautical Archaeologyin 1996 (along with dozens of other shipwrecks): Tektaş Burnu was chosen for excavation becausethe amphoras date to the 5th century BCE (Classical Period)

The Institute of Nautical Archaeology and Texas A&M began excavation in 1999 (with ample resources and expertise): Tektaş Burnu was fully excavated in three seasons (1999-2001)

Size is one obvious difference between the Tektaş Burnu ship(sunk ca. 440-425 BCE) and the contemporary Alonnesos ship :

Tektaş Burnu: ca. 200 amphoras total, dimensions ca. 11x3mAlonnesos: 1000+ amphoras visible, dimensions ca. 22x8m

Plan of the Tektaş Burnu site

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Mendean amphorasfilled with pitch andbeef cuts (not wine!)

Monogram stampon one amphorafrom the Ioniancity of Erythrae

IoniaTektaşBurnu

The mix of transport amphoras from Tektaş Burnu

XTektaşBurnu

Origins of table and cooking wares (potentially galley wares) and lamps: allIonian (local) with the exception of an Attic kantharos and askos

Attic wares

Additional objects of interest:14 lead anchor stocks (wooden anchor did not preserve)

The one potentially ‘elite’ object recoveredfrom the Tektaş Burnu shipwreck

An alabstron(perfume container)

Monogram stampfrom the Ioniancity of Erythrae

The Ionian context of the itinerary of the Tektaş Burnu ship

Ionia

In the 6th century BCE (prior to the Tektaş Burnu shipwreck) the Greek colony of Ionia was proudly monumental and the most sophisticated region in the Greek speaking world

6th century BCE Temple of Apollo at Didyma

Monogram stampfrom the Ioniancity of Erythrae

Ionia

As ‘members’ of the Delian League in the 5th Century BCE (contemporary with TektaşBurnu) Ionians stopped building temples or other grand monuments.

**Was the Alonessos ship with its enormous cargo on an Athenian itinerary? **Compared to the humbler Tektaş Burnu ship that was on a local (Ionian) one?**Is this a meaningful point of contrast (between 2 shipwrecks)

in the context of the Delian League?

Tektaş Burnu: ca. 200 amphoras total, dimensions ca. 11x3mAlonnesos: 1000+ amphoras visible, dimensions ca. 22x8m

Plan of the Tektaş Burnu site

How the Tektaş Burnu ship may have looked the second it hit the seafloor, but based on what?

The Tektaş Burnu ship did not preserve any wooden hull remains (though copper nails and tackswere preserved: probably used to secure hull planking to frames)

What might this ship have looked like? Possibilities on Attic Black Figure pottery

The larger merchant ships during the Classical Periodmoved under sail and were rowed(called kerkouroi)

The only objects of interest related to the ship itself; and they are indeed interesting

The eyes of the ship (ophthalmoi)

Not painted on the hull, rather the eyes are painted marble discs