Shipwrecks discovered using ancient Greek poem

Forget modern scientific equipment, it turns out the best way to find long-lost shipwrecks is by reciting Ancient Greek poetry.

At least that's what one team of experts found after uncovering a wreck by delving deep into the details of Homer’s The Iliad.

The work was written 800 BCE and retells the story of the Trojan war. It was cited by the team of experts with Greece's National Research Foundation and the Ministry of Culture to uncover incredible new findings under the surface.

Experts have discovered a total of 10 sunken crafts, dating all the way from World War II back to 3000 BCE by using the poem.

Greek Ministry of Culture

The findings were located around the island of Kasos. While several sources were used to help locate the wrecks, the Iliad was referenced as it contains descriptions of Kasos being an important place of trade involved in the battle against Troy.

Research into the area has been ongoing since 2019 and marks one of the most intriguing archeological projects of recent years.

In that time they found crafts dating back to Ancient and Roman Times, all the way up to a wooden and metal boat which sank around WWII.

Samples, taken by the team of researchers and the Greek Ministry of Culture released a statement that goods were stored in the ships from Europe, Africa, and Asia.

More information will be released from the project soon, plus the release of a film documenting the process called Diving into the History of the Aegean.

It’s not the first time shipwrecks have been in the news this year, either. A mystery that has lurked beneath the waves for more than a century was finally solved thanks to a chance encounter last month.

The remains of a steamship that vanished off the coast of Australia back in 1904, was found almost 120 years later by undersea explorers who were carrying out an underwater survey - discover more here.

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