Archaeologists Uncover Asini’s Hidden Ancient Port Beneath the Waves of Greece

An international team of underwater archaeologists has made a groundbreaking discovery at the submerged site of Asini, near  Tolo in Argolis, Greece, unearthing significant remnants of an ancient port infrastructure that promises to reshape our understanding of Mediterranean maritime history.

This research is part of a broader underwater archaeological initiative that began in 2022, a collaborative effort involving the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of Greece, the Swedish Institute at Athens, Stockholm University, the University of Gothenburg, and the Nordic Maritime Group.

Under the leadership of Greek archaeologist Dr. Panagiota Galiatsatou, alongside Swedish experts Prof. Ann-Louise Schallin and Dr. Niklas Eriksson, the team meticulously examined a key area of the submerged harbor.

The 2024 fieldwork concentrated on the northwestern edge of a submerged artificial platform, an area previously identified as retaining much of its original form. Utilizing high-resolution photogrammetry, the archaeologists documented a 16-square-meter section in detail, uncovering significant architectural remains indicative of the ancient port’s infrastructure.

The findings included numerous stones and fragments of construction materials, suggesting a gradual collapse of the structure over time.

Among the most intriguing discoveries were ceramic fragments, including ostraca from amphorae embedded within the stone structures and a broken vessel located in an area designated as “Sector 4A.”

These artifacts are expected to provide critical insights into the dating of the submerged port, potentially linking them to the period when the platform was operational or to the time following its abandonment.

Asini boasts a continuous occupation history dating back to prehistoric times, complicating efforts to pinpoint the exact construction date of the artificial port. However, the new findings bolster the hypothesis that this infrastructure was vital for maritime trade throughout various historical epochs.

Previous excavations in 2021 and 2022 had already indicated the extensive size of the port, revealing that the main structure consists of a large artificial platform in shallow waters, with indications of rooms or buildings that suggest a multifunctional use beyond mere trade.

Looking ahead, the archaeological team plans to conduct further excavations on the upper section of the artificial platform. This next phase will involve careful sediment removal, both by hand and through controlled dredging, to uncover additional structural elements.

All findings will be documented in situ using advanced 3D imaging techniques, allowing for high-precision models that facilitate further analysis without disturbing the original context of the artifacts.

The results from the 2024 excavation campaign are set to be published in the scientific journal Opuscula, edited by the Swedish Institutes of Athens and Rome, along with other specialized publications focused on archaeology and maritime studies.

The discoveries at Asini are poised to provide essential clues about ancient maritime trade and the construction of port facilities, enhancing our understanding of how ancient civilizations interacted with their maritime environments.

As the research continues, the site of Asini may yield further revelations about the complexities of ancient trade networks and the architectural ingenuity of past societies, underscoring the enduring significance of this submerged port in the Mediterranean’s rich historical tapestry.

Cover Image Credit: Fieldwork on the seabed at the submerged port in the ancient Greek city of Asini. Credit: Ministry of Culture of Greece

Alexander the Great’s Sacred Purple Tunic Found in a 2,400-year-old Macedonian Tomb?

Archaeologists have found a sacred chiton (tunic) in a 2400-year-old royal tomb in the Macedonian city of Vergina in northern Greece, and it could belong to Alexander the Great!

Archaeologists have known for decades that Alexander the Great’s family has a close connection to the three royal tombs located in Vergina. However, it has been more than fifty years since they were able to agree on who they belonged to.

The inhabitants of the 4th century BC Royal Tombs were the subject of another study earlier this year. According to the results of the research, the tombs contained the remains of Alexander’s father, stepmother, half-sisters, and son.

Under the direction of Antonis Bartsiokas of Democritus University of Thrace, a team of archaeologists identified a purple-dyed cotton cloth that corresponds to historical accounts of the sarapis, a ceremonial garment worn by the great Persian kings that Alexander took after defeating Darius III of Persia.

The sacred “chiton” was found in the golden ossuary of Tomb II alongside the remains of a man and a gold wreath.

Through in-depth analysis of the tunic, the tombs, and historical records, researchers have finally been able to link this royal garment to Alexander the Great.

Additionally, huntite, a bright white mineral used in ancient Persia, was found between the layers of the textile, reinforcing the idea that this garment has an eastern origin.

The remains of a royal cloak discovered in Tomb II may have belonged to Alexander the Great, according to a study published in The Journal of Field Archaeology.

An international team of archaeologists and osteologists set out to identify the tomb’s occupants after it was found inside a golden ossuary that contained male remains that were initially thought to be those of Philip II.

This finding has significant ramifications because it may indicate that many of the items discovered in Tomb II belonged to Alexander the Great rather than Philip II, as was previously thought.

Research suggests that Tomb II, located in the Great Tumulus of Vergina, does not house the remains of Philip II, Alexander’s father, but rather those of his half-brother, Philip III Arrhidaeus, who inherited several symbols of power from Alexander after his death.

A golden diadem, a scepter, and a golden oak wreath are among the items discovered in the tomb; these items are all referenced in historical accounts as being a part of Alexander’s royal attire. But because the sarapis had such symbolic meaning in the Persian court, their discovery is especially significant.

The sarapis was a purple tunic with a white stripe down the center, reserved exclusively for Persian kings, and Alexander’s adoption of it marked his dominance over the vast Persian Empire.

A figure, most likely Alexander, is shown hunting in a purple sarapis with two white stripes on a frieze in Tomb II. The conclusion that the tunic belonged to Alexander the Great is further supported by the fact that it matches historical accounts, as do other relics, such as a golden oak wreath discovered in Tomb II.

A garment of such immense value would likely have been inherited by a close family member. After Alexander’s death, the Macedonian army crowned his half-brother, Philip III Arrhidaeus, as king. According to The Greek Reporter, he most likely brought Alexander’s belongings back to Greece, including the royal scepter and tunic.

This new study provides answers to lingering questions surrounding the Royal Tombs of Vergina. It confirms that Alexander the Great was not buried there. Instead, Tomb I holds the remains of Philip II, his wife Cleopatra, and their newborn child.

Based on royal symbols and osteological data, Tomb II contains the remains of King Philip III Arrhidaeus and his wife Adea Eurydice, while Alexander IV is buried in Tomb III.

The Theopetra Cave and the Oldest Human Construction in the World

The Theopetra Cave is an archaeological site located in Meteora, in the central Greek region of Thessaly. As a result of archaeological excavations that have been conducted over the years, it has been revealed that the Theopetra Cave has been occupied by human beings as early as 130000 years ago.

In addition, evidence for human habitation in the Theopetra Cave can be traced without interruption from the Middle Palaeolithic to the end of the Neolithic period. This is significant, as it allows archaeologists to have a better understanding of the prehistoric period in Greece.

Occupation of Theopetra Cave

The Theopetra Cave is situated on the northeastern slope of a limestone hill, about 100 m (330 ft above a valley. The cave overlooks the small village of Theopetra, and the Lethaios River, a tributary of the Pineios River, flows nearby.

According to geologists, the limestone hill was formed between 137 and 65 million years ago, which corresponds to the Upper Cretaceous period.

Based on the archaeological evidence, human beings only began to occupy the cave during the Middle Palaeolithic period, i.e. around 130000 years ago.

The cave itself has been described as being roughly quadrilateral in shape with small niches on its periphery and covers an area of about 500 sq meters (5380 sq ft). The Theopetra Cave has a large entrance, which allows light to enter abundantly into the interior of the cave.

Investigation Begins

The archaeological excavation of the Theopetra Cave began in 1987 and continued up until 2007.

This project was directed by Dr. Nina Kyparissi-Apostolika, who served as the head of the Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology and Speleography when the excavations were being carried out.

It may be mentioned that when the archaeological work was first conducted, the Theopetra Cave was being used by local shepherds as a temporary shelter in which they would keep their flocks. It may be added that the Theopetra Cave was the first cave in Thessaly to have been archaeologically excavated, and also the only one in Greece to have a continuous sequence of deposits from the Middle Palaeolithic to the end of the Neolithic period.

This is significant, as it has allowed archaeologists to gain a better understanding of the transition from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic way of life in mainland Greece.

Several interesting discoveries have been made through the archaeological study of the Theopetra Cave. One of these, for instance, pertains to the climate in the area when the cave was being occupied.

By conducting micromorphological analysis on the sediment samples collected from each archaeological layer, archaeologists were able to determine that there had been hot and cold spells during the cave’s occupation. As a result of these changes in the climate, the cave’s population also fluctuated accordingly.

The World’s Oldest Wall

Another fascinating find from the Theopetra Cave is the remains of a stone wall that once partially closed off the entrance of the cave.

These remains were discovered in 2010, and using a relatively new method of dating known as Optically Stimulated Luminescence, scientists were able to date this wall to be around 23000 years old.

The age of this wall, which coincides with the last glacial age, has led researchers to suggest that the wall had been built by the inhabitants of the cave to protect them from the cold outside. It has been claimed that this is the oldest known man-made structure in Greece, and possibly even in the world.

A year before this incredible discovery was made, it was announced that a trail of at least three hominid footprints that were imprinted onto the cave’s soft earthen floor had been uncovered. Based on the shape and size of the footprints, it has been speculated that they were made by several Neanderthal children, aged between two and four years old, who had lived in the cave during the Middle Palaeolithic period.

In 2009, the Theopetra Cave was officially opened to the public, though it was closed temporarily a year later, as the remains of the stone wall were discovered that year. Although the archaeological site was later re-opened, it was closed once again in 2016 and remains so due to safety reasons, i.e. the risk of landslides occurring.

Historic 3,000-year-old olive tree still producing olives to this day

The oldest olive tree in the world is located in the village of Ano Vouves of Kissamos in Chania, Crete, Greece. The ancient tree is 3000 years old, as determined by the international scientific community.

The ancient olive tree in Vouves has a trunk with a circumference of 12.5 meters (41 feet), and a diameter of 4.6 meters (15 feet). It belongs to the local tree variety of tsounati and was grafted at a height of three meters onto a wild olive tree.

Because of the grafting, its trunk has been so beautifully shaped by nature that it resembles a sculpture. In 1990, after a unanimous decision in the prefecture of Chania, the Vouves Olive Tree was declared a Natural Monument of great importance due to its status as the world’s oldest tree of its kind.

The oldest olive tree still produces high-quality olives

The fruits of the ancient olive tree produce the best olive oil in the world, making the area the cradle of olive cultivation on the island of Crete. The trunk of the tree is now hollow as there is no heartwood, so the olive is renewed outward and the heartwood gradually rots away.

Since the olive tree is constantly renewing its wood, it has served as a a symbol of immortality since ancient times.

Thousands of tourists visit the stunning tree every summer to marvel at it and learn its history. They are mainly impressed by its enormous shape and the imposing volume of the trunk but also by the fact that it has remained alive and fruitful for 3000 years.

The site of the olive tree, including the entire hill on which several villages are situated, has thousands of olive trees and the villages are widely believed to produce the best olive oil in the world.

Why is the Olive Tree Important in Greece?

The olive tree has been associated with Greece for millennia.

It symbolizes peace and prosperity, as well as the hope of resurrection and prosperous life. The typically Mediterranean Greek landscape is dotted with these trees, and Greeks throughout the centuries have been inextricably linked with this plant.

For Ancient Greeks, the olive tree was one of two of the most respected mythical trees, along with the oak.

The deeply rooted love and respect shown to this tree by Greeks has survived throughout the centuries.

Greek olive oil

Greek olive oil, or “Liquid Gold,” as Homer called it, has been part of Greece’s history since antiquity. It is an irreplaceable nutritional component of the Greek diet.

Ancient Greeks also used olive oil as part of their efforts to enjoy a healthy life and to promote longevity, and used it as a cosmetic for the skin and hair. Today, Greek olive oil is considered by most as the best in the world.

The history of humanity’s use of the olive dates back to ancient history. In his work “Origine des plantes cultivées,” botanist Augustin Pyrame de Candole writes that our cultivation of the tree started some time around 4000 BC—and that its origin is from the coasts of Asia Minor.

Today, throughout the world, there are approximately 800 million olive trees—of which approximately 95 percent are cultivated in the Mediterranean basin, which has the best soil and climatic conditions for olive cultivation.

The olive is widely grown all over in Greece. Its cultivation, which is greater than any other type of fructiferous tree, occupies approximately 15 percent of cultivated agricultural land and 75 percent of arboraceous cultivations in the country.

A 3,400-year-old Minoan tomb has been uncovered in an unnamed farmer’s olive grove near Ierapetra on the Greek island of Crete

The untouched Bronze Age tomb and the skeletons inside will hopefully provide archaeologists with information about the mysterious Minoan civilization.

In an extraordinary example of being in the wrong place at the right time, a Greek farmer just made a startling archaeological discovery.

A 3,400-year-old Minoan tomb was uncovered in an unnamed farmer’s olive grove near the city of Ierapetra on the Greek island of Crete. According to Cretapost, the farmer was attempting to park his car underneath an olive tree when suddenly the ground beneath him began to sink.

The farmer pulled his car out from under the tree and noticed that a huge hole which measured around four feet wide had opened up where his car had been sitting. When he peeked into the hole, the farmer knew he had stumbled upon something special. He called the local heritage ministry, Lassithi Ephorate of Antiquities, to investigate.

The archaeologists from the ministry excavated the hole. What they found next was unprecedented.

The pit was approximately four feet wide and eight feet deep, was divided into three sections, and very apparently was a tomb.

In the first section, archaeologists uncovered a coffin and a variety of artifacts. The following niche held a second coffin, 14 Greek jars called amphorae, and a bowl.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, the archaeologists identified that the tomb was Minoan and of the Bronze Age due to the style of coffin they found. The artifacts — funerary vases and the two coffins— were well-preserved despite their extremely old age.

The tomb was sealed off by a stone wall and only after thousands of years of wear and tear did it deteriorate enough to buckle under the weight of the farmer’s car.

“Soil retreat was a result of the watering of the olive trees in the area as well as a broken irrigation tube,” Argyris Pantazis, the Deputy Mayor of Local Communities, Agranian and Tourism of Ierapetra, told Cretapost. “The ground had partially receded, and when the farmer tried to park in the shade of the olive, it completely retreated.”

Pantazis also said that the fact that the tomb was untouched by thieves for millennia makes it an ideal site for archaeologists to learn as much as possible about the two people buried in the tomb and life for the Minoan civilization.

According to Forbes, the skeletons date back to the Late Minoan IIIA-B period in archaeological chronology, also known as the Late Palace Period.

So far, not much information is known about the Minoan civilization and their way of life, save for their labyrinth palatial complexes, showcased in classic myths like Theseus and the Minotaur.

Researchers also believe that the Minoans met their end because of a string of devastating natural disasters. Most other details of the Minoan’s history remain unclear.

Further analysis of the skeletons and artifacts in the tomb in Crete will hopefully help archaeologists fill in some blanks and answer questions about mysterious Minoan civilization.

Archaeologists unearth Greek helmet which may rewrite history of ancient tribal people

Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient Greek helmet from burial mounds in southern Croatia, shedding new light on the history of the Illyrians, a tribal people from the eastern Adriatic and the Balkans.

Near the village of Zakotorac on the Peljesac peninsula, approximately 70 kilometres northwest of Dubrovnik, a team of archaeologists, led by Hrvoje Potrebica from the University of Zagreb, uncovered various artefacts, including lavish jewellery and a Greco-Illyrian helmet.

The helmet is the second of its kind found in the area, following a similar discovery in 2020. Both items date back to the 5th or 6th century BC, a period when historians believe local Illyrian communities flourished.

Although little is known about Illyrian culture or language, they are known to have lived in tribes. The tribe inhabiting the Peljesac area of modern-day southern Croatia is believed to have thrived due to their control over strategically significant maritime trade routes around the peninsula.

How do the Greco-Illyrian helmets help rewrite history?

Despite being discovered in burial mounds, the helmets were not part of burial rituals. Experts speculate that they were deposited much later, possibly as votive gifts in a religious or ceremonial context.

“They were both found as separate objects, laid in a way which indicates that this was some kind of a cult practice,” explains archaeologist Hrvoje Potrebica from the University of Zagreb.

“These were votive gifts left to pay respect to deities or people buried here. We don’t think that they are related to any specific person buried here because the site contains remains of dozens of individuals.”

Numerous burial mounds have been discovered in recent years in the area and on nearby islands. While most remain unexamined, the recent findings from sites at Zakotorac and nearby Nakovana suggest these locations may have held special spiritual significance to 5th-century Illyrians from the region.

Roman conquest and its impact

Illyrian tribes, that lived along the eastern Adriatic since at least second millennium BC, were eventually brutally defeated by the invading Romans in the latter years of the 1st century BC.

Their cultural sites and settlements seem to have been deserted approximately 500 years after the time of the helmets.

Local historian Ivan Pamic states, “These mounds were likely robbed, probably by the Romans, who arrived here in the last decades of the 1st century BC. At the time Octavian, the future Roman emperor, led military expeditions against Illyrians on the eastern Adriatic.”

Other artefacts discovered include pins, jewellery pieces, buckles, glass beads, and fibulas (ancient brooches used for fastening clothes).

Challenging traditional colonial perspectives

At the time, Greek city-states founded thriving colonies throughout the Mediterranean, some of the most important ones in the Adriatic were on the modern-day Croatian islands of Vis, Hvar, and Korcula – just across the narrow Peljesac channel from mainland Illyrians.

The findings appear to show just how wealthy local elites had been at the time.

“The wealth of this community, which lived here, which can be seen in many artefacts found in burial cairns, most likely came about because of trade and the control of trade routes passing from the southeast towards the northwest and on towards the interior of the Balkans,” says Domagoj Perkic, archeologist and curator at Dubrovnik Archeological Museum.

The findings may also help change the dominant perspective about the history of this part of the Mediterranean, which is traditionally told through Greek or Roman sources.

“In the past, we had no access to this data, we only had to rely on ancient sources and our knowledge of the Greeks, so we viewed these communities via the colonial lens, through the eyes of those who arrived here,” adds Potrebica.

“Nikasitimos Was Here Mounting Timiona,” 2,500-year-old erotic graffiti on Astypalaia, Greece

In 2014, an archaeologist working on Astypalaia, a remote Greek island of the Dodecanese discovered one of the world’s oldest erotic graffiti a pair of phallus carvings dating from the 5th century BCE and a proclamation of sexual conquest from the 6th century BCE.

Archaeologists believe it is the oldest record of erotic graffiti ever found, with inscriptions and etchings documenting an ongoing sexual relationship between two men in Ancient Greece.

Professor Dr. Andreas Vlachopoulos discovered the two carved penises while he was giving his students a tour of the island. They were found etched into a limestone outcropping on the island’s windswept, rugged peninsula overlooking Vathay Bay.

In an interview with The Guardian,  Professor Andreas Vlachopoulos, a specialist in prehistoric archaeology was surprised to find such sophisticated inscriptions in such an unlikely place. He called the inscriptions “monumental in scale”.

“They claimed their own space in large letters that not only expressed sexual desire but talked about the act of sex itself,” he told the Guardian. “And that is very, very rare.”

Even though sexual relations between men were not taboo in ancient Greece, these racy inscriptions and phalluses carved into Astypalaia’s rocky peninsula shed light on the very private lives of ancient Greece.

Carved on the side of the rock, archeologists found the name “DION” (ΔΙΩΝ). There was another inscription which was found 52 meters above sea level. “Nikasitimos was here mounting Timiona” (Νικασίτιμος οἶφε Τιμίονα), noted the inscription.

In addition to illuminating the intimate lives of the ancients, the graffiti demonstrated the degree of literacy at a period before the construction of the Acropolis in Athens.

The graffiti is written in the Greek alphabet, which was first developed in the 8th century BCE. It is written in a style known as “rustic,” which was popular in the sixth and fifth centuries BCE.

The letters have been expertly carved into the rock, demonstrating that regular island residents were also trained in the art of writing, in addition to philosophers, academics, and historians.

Remarkably, the erotic rock carvings have survived despite remaining exposed all these millennia to weather and erosion from the sea.

High-status Macedonian tomb discovered in ancient Aegae, Central Macedonia

In the ancient city of Aegae (present-day Vergina) in Imathia, Central Macedonia, during the construction of the sewerage network, tomb of a local noble, buried with his wife, was discovered.

Aegae or Aigai was the original capital of the Macedonians, an ancient kingdom in Emathia in northern Greece. In antiquity, the city remained the burial place of the royal family after the capital was transferred to the city of Pella at the beginning of the 4th century BC.

This and other important findings of the archaeological excavations carried out during the rescue excavations in the necropolis of Aigai last year were presented by Angeliki Kottaridis, Honorary Director of Antiquities, at the 36th Annual Archaeological Meeting of the “the Archaeological Project in Macedonia and Thrace in 2023” in Thessaloniki.

The tomb, which dates back to the third century BC, was discovered in an area with mounds in the northwest corner of the necropolis.

The entranceway of the tomb enclosed by piles of stones was unearthed. The interior of the tomb measures 3.7 x 2.7 meters.

“This is an important tomb because the man buried here, the main deceased, had a shield reinforced with iron pieces, and the weapons preserved in sections show that they were made in a very good workshop, so it is probably one of the hetairai (Macedonian elite cavalry),” said Kottaridi.

The interior of the tomb is decorated with an encircling golden band with bows.

The colored mortars on the facade observed by the archaeologists belong to two phases and are explained by the later burial of his wife here, while a crown of gold myrtle attracted attention among the jewels found in the tomb.

The tomb that Dimitris Pandermanlis excavated in 1969 is located just 100 meters away from this one, and it contains two additional tombs. In the archaeologist’s opinion, it is most likely a group of wealthy tombs.