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THE CYPRO-MYCENAEAN WRECK AT POINT IRIA

DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION

Christos Agouridis

THE DISCOVERY

As you are now aware, the Cypro-Mycenaean wreck at Point Iria was first discovered in 1962 by the current president of the Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology, Nikos Tsouchlos.

The 1960's and 1970's were formative years in maritime archaeology. Not only in Greece but around the world, the potential knowledge to be gained from underwater archaeological research was beginning to be appreciated.

However, underwater archaeology in Greece was still in its youth and an institution responsible for the preservation and study of the underwater cultural heritage had not yet been established. Consequently, the importance of information given by sport divers or fishermen and provided by less dramatic finds, such as the Point Iria wreck, could not always be evaluated.

Over the ensuing decades progress in Aegean and Cypriot prehistory was to enable a definitive identification of the wreck assemblage, but in the meantime the importance of the Iria shipwreck remained sealed beneath the sand.

It was only in 1974, one year after the foundation of the Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology, that the wreck was relocated by a team of its founding members: Nikos Tsouchlos, Peter Throckmorton and Charalabos Kritzas dived at the site and Bruno Vailati filmed and photographed the expedition for the film "The Men of the Sea". The site was then identified by the large pithos fragments and a completely intact pithos, which were photographed in situ by Nikos Tsouchlos (Fig 1).

Unfortunately, during the long intervening period between 1974 and 1990, when the first comprehensive survey of the site was undertaken by HIMA, this particular pithos was stolen.

A triangular stone anchor with three holes was also located by Kritzas, lying on a sandy shelf at a depth of 8-12 meters very close to the intact pithos.

Photos of the exposed finds and predominantly the intact pithos were taken for examination, but the wreck could not be dated with certainty. A Geometric or Archaic date was then proposed, showing how environmental conditions underwater can distort the picture of a prehistoric wreck and make the main characteristics of the pottery, covered with concretions and semi-buried in the sand, indistinguishable.This pithos with its ovoid body, had a plastic relief band around the neck-shoulder junction, but lacked the characteristic multiple relief band on the shoulder. It was not until later that it was recognised as being of Cypriot type. Indeed it takes great effort, persistence, belief, patience and experience to recognise the importance of a humble cargo, such as the Iria ship was carrying. More so to take the decision that it is worthwhile to engage in a lengthy and expensive full-scale underwater excavation

The account of the discovery and excavation of such a wreck, I think helps us to understand all those parameters important for research and study of underwater finds, particularly the less spectacular prehistoric sites.

Additionally, through the story of the discovery and eventual exploration of the wreck site at Point Iria, we may also reflect on the development of the history of underwater archaeological research in Greece, as well as the first 25 years of the Institute's life.

THE SITE

Point Iria is on the north coast of the Gulf of Argolid (fig. 2) near the Mycenaean site of Mases (to the East). A short distance west of the point, at the villages of Iria and Kandia, there are two other Mycenaean sites and further west stand Asine and Tiryns, two very important coastal sites in the Late Bronze Age.

The headland off which the wreck was lying is called Kavo Iri and in ancient times it was known as Point Strouthous (ΣΤΡΟΥΘΟΥΣ). The beach northwest of it, is called Iria Beach (ΠΑΡΑΛΙΑ ΙΡΙΩΝ) and it was known in ancient times as Agrioi Limenes ('Αγριοι λιμένες = αγροτικοί λιμένες = agrarian harbours: Kyrou 1991, 211).

Iria village dominates a fertile valley, which was irrigated by the river Sellas (ΣΕΛΛΑΣ, meaning mountainous = ορεινός) and produces 90% of the artichokes for the Greek market. The bed of the river is now dry, but its fertile nature and the identification of dark alluvial deposits on the wreck site, would indicate that the valley had experienced intermittent flooding throughout its period of activity.

The wreck was lying about 10 m. from the rocky shore and about 100 m. NW of the tip of the promontory. It was spread over some hundred square meters on a sloping seabed with sandy intervals and patches of concretions and rocks at a depth of 12-27 m (fig. 3). Its cargo comprised mainly large transport vessels dated ca. 1200 BC and coming from Cyprus, Crete and mainland Greece.

During the exploratory campaigns a total area of 5000 m^² northeast, southeast of the wreck and even northeast of the tip of the promontory was investigated and many finds of earlier, contemporary and later periods were located (fig. 4), showing that the site was on a frequented sea route and highly dangerous for shipping due to the prevailing winds and currents.

The pottery of earlier and later periods, including that found on the main wreck site, comes probably from other shipwrecks or chance jettisoning. Interesting finds include at least two sherds dating to the Early Bronze Age, three stone anchors, some rounded volcanic rocks most probably from the ship's ballast, some small pieces of wood and some organic remains. Among later finds are a lead ring and four tiles, which may have come from the cabin roof of a Late Roman or Early Byzantine ship.

THE EXCAVATION

The prehistoric wreck off Point Iria was systematically investigated by the Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology from 1990 to 1994 under the direction of Haralambos Pennas and with the generous support of the A.G. Leventis Foundation, the INTSAP and other sponsors of HIMA.

1990

In 1990, a preliminary survey was carried out by a small team of HIMA, during which the wreck was relocated and its extent defined (Pennas 1990, 39). Representative finds on the seabed were also photographed and a rough sketch made of the site, marking the positions of the finds.

1991

In October 1991 an underwater survey was carried out on the wreck at Point Iria (Pennas & Vichos 1993, 8-16 and 1995, 4-9). A team of ten members from the Institute took part, the main aim being to locate the position of the wreck more precisely and delimit the area of the site, to photograph and plot all surface finds and to recover all those in danger of being stolen, as well as any others that might help to determine the nature and date of the wreck.

For the transport of the team to and from the site and as a floating diving base, a traditional trechandiri, Kalokyra, was used, generously loaned for the period of the survey by Adonis Kyrou.

The wreck was easily identified by an assemblage of pottery which was concentrated in an area of about 105 m^² at a depth from 20-28 m (fig. 3). The group consisted of fragments of large and small domestic pottery of commercial types used for transport, including large pithoi, jars, deep basins, a jug and a large trading Mycenaean stirrup jar. All the finds were buried to a greater or lesser extent in the sand, and a considerable number were concreted to the rocks.

The main concentration of the finds was delimited by a perimeter zone. The perimeter and its reference points were set on the topographic plan of the area.

The finds were labeled and their exact positions and depths plotted. They were photographed in situ, individually and in groups, where possible.

Then work began on detaching the finds concreted to the bottom using a hammer and cold chisel. Finally, they were raised to the surface, hoisted on board the Kalokyra and immediately wrapped in wet burlap and allotted a catalogue number. They were later measured, given a brief description and transported to the conservation laboratory in the Spetses Archaeological Museum, where the first steps in their conservation began.

A first evaluation of the results of the 1991 survey of the Point Iria wreck, in conjunction with the observations made during the previous surveys of the site in 1974 and 1990, suggested that the group of the finds were typologically and chronologically related. After careful inspection, Prof. Yannos Lolos dated the finds to ca. 1200 BC and recognised the Cypriot origin of most of the pottery in the assemblage (Lolos 1995, 9-16).

At this stage the scientific team of the Institute became fully aware of the importance of their findings and the contribution such a discovery would make both to the study of shipping in that period and our knowledge of the transport and movement of goods in the Eastern Mediterranean. Plans for an exploratory excavation then began to be formulated.

1992

After the preliminary inspection of the wreck site in 1990 and the extensive survey of the seabed made in 1991, during which most of the surface finds were recovered, a small team from the Institute carried out, a more comprehensive survey of the wreck site in October 1992 (Pennas & Vichos 1995, 12).

The purpose was to collect more information in preparation for the systematic excavation planned for the summer of 1993. Some distinctive pottery sherds were discovered and brought to the surface (Lolos 1996, 4-5).

Test probes in the seabed were made within the main area of the wreck with a bronze core to a depth of about 80 cm, and a trial pit was dug to a depth of 50 cm, which revealed that the stratum of sand was deep. The months that followed were dedicated to organising and preparing the excavation, as well as raising funds.

1993 - 1994

The wreck at Point Iria, was fully excavated by the Institute for two continuous campaigns in the summer of 1993 (Pennas & Vichos 1996, 6-17) and 1994 (Vichos, Agouridis & Lolos 1998, forthcoming). In July 1993 technicians, and members of the HIMA team under the direction of Nikos Tsouchlos, Yannis Baltsavias and Petros Vakondios, transported and assembled the land installations for the expedition's base camp on an empty piece of reclaimed land on the edge of the sea, at the settlement of Paralia Irion. The camp consisted of tents, two caravans, a commercial container, a kitchen, showers and washbasins, toilets and a water and electricity supply system.

Over the next few days the diving boat Siomos arrived, a floating platform was towed into place and anchored over the site of the wreck, close to the tip of Point Iria, with mooring lines attached to rocks on the shore.

In mid-July the topographical and archaeological work began. Under Koniordos’s supervision the ropes delimiting the perimeter of the main cargo concentration were repositioned along with those dividing the perimeter initially into three separate sectors (SI, SII and SIII). Later a fourth sector (SIV) was added.

The area inside the main zone and immediately around it yielded some fragments of pottery, chiefly of later periods. Among the more interesting of the finds belonging to the cargo of the Cypro-Mycenaean ship, were the upper part of a stirrup jar A28, which came from just outside sector SIII, part of the Mycenaean deep bowl A26 and, in particular, the complete Mycenaean deep-bowl krater A36, which was found some 50 m south of the perimeter zone. Some stones were also found, probably from the ship’s ballast.

Among the many fragments of mainly later artifacts that were photographed and plotted, especially important was the rediscovery of the stone anchor A29 (fig. 5), which was first located by Haralambos Kritzas in 1974. The anchor was found NNE of and just outside the perimeter zone at a depth of 12.50 m. It has three holes, one at the top for the mooring rope and two at the bottom for the wooden teeth. It weighs 25 kg and is made of sandstone (Vichos 1996, 19).

From the surrounding area two more stone anchors were recovered, but only the anchor A29 can with probability be connected with the wreck, for it was found near the main concentration of the cargo.

An extensive and thorough search of the entire area with a metal detector produced only modern objects. The complete absence of any metal prehistoric find still remains an enigma.

Before starting the main excavation three trial trenches were excavated, until the bed rock was exposed 1,20 m. below the original seabed surface (fig. 5).

The first (T.T. 1), 2 x 2 m, was in the lower central part of sector SI and covered most of the sandy area there, the second trial trench (T.T. 2) in the NE part, and a third trial trench (T.T.3), triangular in plan in sector SIV. Only the second revealed an assemblage of finds, which chiefly included small and large pot fragments, most of them from the third Cypriot pithos A7 (groups A33, A34, A49).

Additionally, find A37 was also found to the NE, just beyond the perimeter zone, and when cleaned it proved to be a complete stirrup jar with only the spout missing.

During the 1994 campaign the perimeter zone was enlarged to include the stirrup jar A37, and a fourth sector SIV was created to the south of the perimeter.

Having formed a fairly accurate picture of the state of the site and the scatter of archaeological finds both on and below the seabed, the excavation team proceeded to a full excavation of the two lower sectors SII and SIII. In SII, where there were smaller patches of sand and more concretions, a number of finds were located, including an intact pithoid amphora concreted with a Mycenaean amphora, with the numeral 1 incised on the handles. In SIII two pithos fragments were found (A50, A71), which probably come from the second Cypriot pithos A5.

Having nearly completed the excavation of the two lower sectors, we continued with the excavation of the upper sector (SI), initially in the part around the first trial trench (T.T. 1). There we had a pleasant surprise. Underneath a large section of a pointed-base amphora, which had evidently rolled there almost a millennium after the sinking of the Cypro-Mycenaean ship, was a stirrup jar covered with concreted marine organisms, sand and stones (A85, Figs. 7,8). Two more complete stirrup jars (lacking only their spouts) were uncovered a little to the north, one of which (A86/1, Fig. 9) has painted decoration on the body and false spout. The discovery of these three finds a short distance apart encouraged the team to concentrate their efforts less in the sandy patches in SI and more in the places where there were concretions, using hammers and chisels to break them up and an air lift to remove the sand.

In this way numerous groups of finds and important single ones were uncovered. The dark layer of alluvial mud also appeared here just below the surface of the seabed.

Finally the rest of sector SIV was excavated and two more pithos fragments were located (A 104 and A104 a).

During the last two days of the 1994 campaign a fourth trial trench was opened, at the lowest part of the wreck, outside the perimeter, at a depth of 27 m. and where the rocks met the sand. Our aim was to locate any finds that may have rolled down to the lowest part of the rocky cliff. Unfortunately, we did not find any archaeological remains but at least we have excluded the possibility of locating more scattered finds in this area.

The excavation, which reached a depth of between 0.90 and 1.20 m, also produced useful evidence for stratigraphy.

Under the layer of thick sand, a stratum of dark mud 80 cm deep, covered all our finds. It seems that this deposit favours the development of certain sea organisms and it was also responsible for the low visibility underwater, especially when it was disturbed during excavation. On the other hand it preserved well all ceramics that were buried.

During one of our excavation campaigns we experienced how rich sea-life is in the area of the wreck, as some finds that were left on the seabed exposed to be photographed, drawn and mapped, were occupied in 48 hours by a colony of shells of the type murex trunqulus.

It seems though that most of the pottery finds were exposed on the seabed for quite a long time after the ship sank, as they were concreted before they were buried in the thick layer of mud.

All the finds on the surface or just below the sand were photographed in situ and plotted from fixed points by triangulation (axes X, æ) before being raised. Their depths (z) were measured with an accurate depth finder. This traditional method of triangulation was selected as the most appropriate for plotting the wreck, due to the rugged morphology of the seabed, the concentration and the limited number of the finds.

Work underwater and many of the finds were recorded on video.

Raising the finds presented no particular problem except for the concretions, which had first to be carefully detached, and the stirrup jars, which required great care when being raised because of their bulk and fragile nature.

In addition to the finds, several concretions were detached from the seabed, raised to the surface, carefully broken and examined for any small finds.

After raising the finds initial conservation measures were taken at the excavation camp by the Institute's experienced conservators, who took the first steps in their desalination and cleaning.

The contents of the intact vessels were carefully emptied and examined. They were kept separately in tanks with seawater for further analysis. Unfortunately, their contents proved to be only mud like the deposits of the area. While cleaning the interior of the pithoid amphora A98, a sherd from a decorated Mycenaean skyphos of the LH III B period was discovered. It is probable that it was left from a skyphos carried in the pithoid amphora or brought in, together with two pithos sherds, by an octopus who used the pithoid amphora as shelter.

The scientific team of the Institute inventoried all the finds, entering the details directly into the computer, drew the finds and photographed them.

Finally they were transported to the archaeological Museum of Spetses, where they were stored in the Institute's conservation laboratory, and conservation and desalination were immediately begun.

In the course of all the campaigns 1105 dives were carried out and 550 hours were spent underwater.

The total cost of the excavation reached in excess of 22 million Drs. 80 scientists and technicians, all members of the Institute, were voluntarily involved. Here we would like to express our gratitude to them, as nothing would have been accomplished without their contribution.

CAPTIONS OF ILLUSTRATIONS

1. The 1974 survey. Haralambos Kritzas is making a sketch of a large intact pithos.

2. Map of the area

3. Topographic plan of the surveyed area in 1991 with the positions, depths and orientation of the finds.

4. Topographic plan of the perimeter zone and surrounding area with the positions of the finds from the 1993 excavation period.

5. ????

6. Topographic plan of the perimeter zone and surrounding area with the positions of the finds from 1993 and 1994 excavation periods.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

reproduced, by permission, from:
The Point Iria Wreck: Interconnections in the Mediterranean ca. 1200 BC Proceedings of the International Conference. Island of Spetses, 19 September 1998. Ed. William Phelps, Yannos Lolos, Yannis Vichos. Athens 1999. Pp. 268. ISBN 960-86282-1-0

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