Nothing fires the imagination of history enthusiasts like underwater discoveries, from sunken cities to the millions of shipwrecks that remain undiscovered on the seabed. The world’s sea and ocean floors are described as the world’s largest museum, with less than 1% of the ocean floor surveyed to date. The ruins of the Bronze Age port of Pavlopetri were discovered as recently as the 1960s and some have suggested they may have been the basis for the legendary story of Atlantis.
The ruins of Pavlopetri lie a short distance from the coast, just a few meters below the water’s surface in Vatika Bay in southern Greece. (World Monuments Fund)
Explore Pavlopetri: The world’s oldest underwater town
In the 1960s, Nic Flemming from the Institute of Oceanography at the University of Southampton, rediscovered the remains of a submerged settlement thought to date back 5,000 years. Located in the Peloponnesus region of southern Greece, near a small village called Pavlopetri, this archaeological site is 4 meters (13.12 ft) underwater and is now believed to be a planned underwater town oldest in the world. It thus joins the ranks of other mysterious underwater settlements, towns and cities that have captured the imagination of history enthusiasts, including:
The ancient Chinese city of Shi Cheng (Lion City) is perfectly preserved
The legendary sunken temples of Mahabalipuram in India
Ancient Egyptian city of Heracleion
The 9,000-year-old Neolithic site of Atlit Yam in Israel
17th century pirate city of Port Royal, Jamaica
Was the site of Pavlopetri in southern Greece the inspiration for Plato’s story of Atlantis? (NMaverick/Adobe Stock)
The site was originally identified by geologist Folkion Negris in 1904, but after Flemming rediscovered the site, it was surveyed by a team of archaeologists from Cambridge University in 1968. Then, in 2009, under the direction of John C. Henderson, the University of Nottingham began a five-year project with the Greek Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Underwater Antiquities Site and the Greek Ministry of Culture and Tourism Research Center. Research Greek Maritime to research the town of Pavlopetri.
The Pavlopetri Underwater Archeology Project used a novel combination of archaeology, underwater robotics and advanced graphics to survey the seabed and bring the ancient town back to life before the ruins were thin. Manh is lost forever due to lack of protection, pollution, waves, currents and tourism. Thanks to the project, Pavlopetri became the first underwater town to be digitally surveyed in 3D using ultrasound mapping technology. The combination of advanced marine technology and film industry computer graphics allows them to create stunningly realistic 3D digital reconstructions, revolutionizing the field of underwater archeology. water.
The resulting research project used a novel combination of archaeology, underwater robotics and modern graphics to survey the seabed and bring the ancient town back to life. (Pavlopetri Underwater Archeology Project)
What did they find at Pavlopetri?
The research project has identified thousands of artifacts at the site that have helped create a deeper understanding of daily life at Pavlopetri from around 3000 BC until its “sink” around 1100 BC, possibly due to frequent earthquakes in the area, erosion, rising sea levels, or even tsunamis. The first ruins of a sunken city in Greece predate Plato’s story of Atlantis.
Like a snapshot of life 5,000 years ago, Pavlopetri is perfectly designed with roads, two-story houses with gardens, temples, cemeteries and a complex water management system including canals and water pipes. In the city center, there is even a square or square measuring about 40 by 20 meters (131 by 65 ft) and most buildings have up to 12 rooms inside. Dr Jon Henderson, from the University of Nottingham team, who manages the Pavlopetri Underwater Archeology Project, explains: “There are older sunken sites around the world but none that can be considered The town is planned like this, that’s why it is unique.” in The Guardian.
The resulting research project used a novel combination of archaeology, underwater robotics and modern graphics to survey the seabed and bring the ancient town back to life. (Pavlopetri Underwater Archeology Project)
What did they find at Pavlopetri?
The research project has identified thousands of artifacts at the site that have helped create a deeper understanding of daily life at Pavlopetri from around 3000 BC until its “sink” around 1100 BC, possibly due to frequent earthquakes in the area, erosion, rising sea levels, or even tsunamis. The first ruins of a sunken city in Greece predate Plato’s story of Atlantis.
Like a snapshot of life 5,000 years ago, Pavlopetri is perfectly designed with roads, two-story houses with gardens, temples, cemeteries and a complex water management system including canals and water pipes. In the city center, there is even a square or square measuring about 40 by 20 meters (131 by 65 ft) and most buildings have up to 12 rooms inside. Dr Jon Henderson, from the University of Nottingham team, who manages the Pavlopetri Underwater Archeology Project, explains: “There are older sunken sites around the world but none that can be considered The town is planned like this, that’s why it is unique.” in The Guardian.
This city is so old that it existed during the period in which the famous ancient Greek epic Iliad is set. Research in 2009 found that the site spans about 9 acres (36,421 m2) and evidence suggests it was inhabited before 2800 BC. Although it has long since sunk, the city’s layout is still visible and at least 15 buildings have been found. The layout of the city is so clear that the head of the archaeological team from Nottingham was able to create what they believe is an extremely accurate 3D reconstruction of the city.
Historians believe this ancient city was the trading center of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. Scattered throughout are large containers made from clay, statues, everyday tools and other artifacts.
The city’s original name as well as its exact role in the ancient world are unknown. “This is a rare and significant find because as a submerged site it was never occupied and therefore represents a frozen moment of the past”.
Digital reconstruction of buildings at Pavlopetri submerged by sea water around 1100 BC. (Pavlopetri Underwater Archeology Project)
Pavlopetri today
Perhaps the most surveyed seabed in the world, coverage of the Pavlopetri site is focused on protecting the archaeological remains. In 2011, the BBC produced a stunning documentary called Pavlopetri – The City Beneath the Waves, focusing on how the University of Nottingham team used technology to create a realistic impression of the seabed. In 2016, Pavlopetri was included in the World Monuments Watch, a global program to protect endangered heritage sites, to support local preservation and conservation efforts – including The watch day was organized by the Greek Chapter of ARCH International to raise awareness of the site.
Since then, Watch Day has been associated with the Pavlopetri Marine Eco-Film Festival, which screens films and documentaries about the marine environment as well as underwater snorkel tours through the ancient city. Thanks to these actions, in August 2016 the area was demarcated with buoys to protect against small vessels and in 2018 the site became the first in Greek waters included in the charts provided to mariners by the Hydrographic Service of the Hellenic Navy.
Top image: The University of Nottingham has carried out a research project at Pavlopetri, combining archaeology, underwater robotics and modern graphics. This allowed them to create stunning images to rebuild the ruined town. Here you can see underwater ruins as well as digitally recreated columns and walls of one of the buildings. Source: Pavlopetri underwater archaeological project
