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S E P T E M B E R 7th |
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Perhaps the most important event of the day was the season opening of the Virazon International Aquatic Basketball Tournament. Tufan, Johannes and I took on Uluc, Arda and Berta in one of the more grueling sports known to man. While Yasar is referee, from his vantage on deck he cannot see what goes on underwater. Scratching, kicking, drowning and the occasional "pantsing" are all fair game in what we believe will become a heated rivalry between these two talented teams. The game was called a tie, both teams unable to tread water for the last point. We had to be hauled back on to the boat with the crane, swallowed salt water and red, stinging eyes making everyone feel sick. | |
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Today's dives were to 45 meters. While it is hot
above water on deck, over 30 degrees centigrade, at the sea floor it can be quite cold.
There is a discernable change in temperature, called the thermocline, as we descend
to around 30 meters . Although we are sweltering in the heat on deck, complaining
that everyone else is taking to long to get ready, we appreciate the warmth of the wetsuit
as we near the bottom. |
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Tufan and I would dive first, accompanied by Johannes, who
would be filming our efforts underwater. We were not exactly sure where the wreck
lay, but it did not take us long to find it. We attached a buoy to a rock nearby so
that Berta and Yasar, the next team to dive, would not waste time swimming aimlessly along
the bottom. They took measurements of the amphoras and attempted a cursory count
with some disappointing results. Berta counted around 12 necks and 30 bodies. There were very few intact amphoras, leading her to believe that the site had been looted. The water here is crystal clear, and the site is close to shore and easily accessible. Whole amphoras are a valuable commodity for black marketeers, and it is difficult to stop the looters that dive over these remote sites. This wreck in particular lies in a very secluded cove, sheltered from the wind and passing ships. Even without scuba gear, a talented free diver in a one person boat could easily carry off many of these important artifacts. |
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These amphoras were most likely made in northern Africa, what is today Tunisia and was once the ancient city of Carthage. It was probably filled with fish sauce or olive oil. Used from the 3rd to the 4th century BC, these amphoras have been found all over the Mediterranean, with a large concentration around Rome and Ostia, and as far away as the British Isles. | |
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Berta makes drawings like these as a general reference for amphoras found on the site. With a permit that allows us only to survey the wrecks that we find, we cannot bring any artifacts to the surface. Berta adds measurements to these drawings and we take photographs and video of the site that helps identify the amphoras and hopefully the time period and nationality of the wreck. The information that we compile and bring back to INA in Bodrum will help decide which wrecks are important enough to warrant the resources needed for an excavation. | |
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C O N T A C T U S A T v i r a z o n @ d i v e t u r k e y . c o m |
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