Archaeologists search for Spain's lost Tartessian civilisation | AFP
For centuries, the lost civilisation of Tartessos -- which emerged in the Iberian peninsular almost 3,000 years ago -- was shrouded in mystery, but today its secrets are slowly being revealed through the meticulous work of archaeologists. "We still don't know where or why they left", says Esther Rodriguez, in charge of the Casas del Turunuelo site, where excavation work has been ongoing since 2015.
Have archaeologists finally found the lost Temple of Hercules in Spain?
Archaeologists have discovered the location of the lost Temple of Hercules Gaditanus in Spain. The archaeological expedition was lucky to catch the moment of discovery on film.
Feb 2, 2023
Has the Temple of Hercules been found?
But the pilgrimage site's exact location has long remained a mystery. Now, researchers say they've discovered the ruins of that fabled temple—one of the “holy grails of archaeology,” according to Jesús A. Cañas of El País—in a shallow channel in the Bay of Cádiz.
Jan 4, 2022
Archaeologists Identify Possible Location of Lost Temple of Hercules
Experts in Spain used laser scanning technology to locate submerged ruins along the coast of the Bay of Cádiz
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Now, researchers say they’ve discovered the ruins of that fabled temple—one of the “holy grails of archaeology,” according to Jesús A. Cañas of El País—in a shallow channel in the Bay of Cádiz. Using digital terrain modeling, the team detected a nearly 1,000-foot-long, 500-foot-wide structure that is only visible at low tide.
“We researchers are very reluctant to turn archaeology into a spectacle, but in this case, we are faced with some spectacular findings,” Francisco José García, an archaeologist at the University of Seville, tells El País. “They are of great significance.”
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“[Our] objective was to trace the paleolandscape back 3,000 years in an area that has been very exposed to sea oscillations,” Aragon tells the London Times’ Sabrina Penty. The team’s efforts uncovered a “totally anthropized coast, with a large building,” he adds.
Built by the Phoenicians around the eighth or ninth century B.C.E., the sanctuary reportedly featured enormous bronze carvings of the 12 labors of Hercules. Also known as the Temple of Melqart, it boasted grand columns and an eternal flame maintained by a priest. The house of worship was an important pilgrimage site for ancient Greeks and Romans.
In Greek mythology, Hercules was the son of Zeus, the ruler of all the gods on Mount Olympus. He was a demigod of superhuman strength who protected his people from a succession of monsters and villains.
According to El País, the Temple of Hercules Gaditanus appears in classical literature as the place where Julius Caesar wept when he saw a depiction of Alexander the Great and Hannibal offered tribute for victory in his military campaigns on the Italian Peninsula.
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These same sources describe “a changing environment, in contact with the sea, subject to the changing tides, in a temple where there must have been port structures and a seafaring environment,” Milagros Alzaga, head of CAS, tells El País.
The large, rectangular structure identified by the researchers lies in a marshy area near the castle of Sancti Petri, between the towns of Chiclana de Frontera and San Fernando. Its foundations are roughly the same size as the island it once stood on. In addition to the proposed temple, the LiDAR survey detected an inner harbor or dock just south of the site, which was a flood zone until about two centuries ago, when water levels began to rise.
Some experts are skeptical of the new findings, arguing instead that the temple’s true location lies elsewhere. Antonio Monterroso-Checa, an archaeologist whose 2020 study concluded that the shrine is most likely located on the Hill of the Martyrs in nearby San Fernando, tells the Times that the scholars made “a triangulation error.”
The Seville team plans to conduct more fieldwork to confirm its findings. Conditions at the site make further study challenging, as the ruins are underwater most of the time.
“These are areas that are difficult to work in and have poor visibility,” Alzaga tells El País.
Southern Italian regions conceal sunken treasures: here are five underwater archaeological parks to discover cities, ruined ports and routes transformed into surreal scenery.
The regions of Campania, Puglia and Calabria are rich in history and beauty: these lands that were once ancient kingdoms have been submerged by the waters, ports have suffered decline, while once-vital routes have been transformed into scenery evoking a surreal atmosphere, to be discovered through underwater archaeological parks. Therefore, it is imperative to protect and enhance Italy’s rich underwater archaeological heritage, guarded as an authentic treasure within real underwater museums. The Musas project, the network of Underwater Archaeology Museums promoted by the Ministry of Culture and financed by the European Regional Development Fund 2014-2020, was born with this objective. This initiative involves the regions of Campania, Puglia and Calabria.
One of the most intriguing aspects of underwater archaeology is the possibility of discovering and studying unique historical contexts that have remained preserved under water, providing an extraordinary opportunity to understand human history and culture related to coastal areas. Visitors have the opportunity to explore these sites through scuba diving or snorkeling, allowing them to venture into an underwater world rich in history and culture. These sites allow the public to make direct contact with submerged archaeological relics and ancient structures. Visiting our ancient underwater ruins is like visiting an alternative museum, and immersing yourself in a fascinating and alien environment, where marine life and historical remains come together in an experience that is totally different from a land-based exhibition space. So here is a list of the five underwater archaeological sites and parks that offer an extraordinary opportunity to understand our history through underwater archaeology:
1. Submerged Park of Baia - Bacoli, Campania
The Submerged Park of Baia represents an archaeological treasure of extraordinary value, preserved on the seabed in the marine protected area located on the coast of the metropolitan city of Naples north of the Gulf of Naples. The sea, which contributed to the splendor of the Phlegraean Fields, mixes with archaeology, revealing mosaics under thin layers of sand and animating the remains of walls and statues with marine life. What has been submerged by the sea is a vast portion of ancient coastline, to be imagined in connection with the land structures of the Archaeological Park of the Baths, overlooking an inlet known in the past as Baianus lacus, reached by an artificial canal. As early as Republican times, this inlet was home to maritime villas. Among the most notable submerged buildings is the Nymphaeum of the Claudia era, located at a sea depth of 7 meters in front of Punta Epitaffio, East of the nymphaeum is a villa presumably belonging to the Pisoni family, recognized by seals on a lead water pipe. Numerous other villas and baths occupied the area surrounding the now-submerged lacus, including the villa known for its renowned mosaic floors, one of the most popular attractions for divers and snorkelers.
Baia submerged park - Bacoli, Campania. Photo: Pasquale Vassallo
2. Gaiola Underwater Park, Gulf of Naples.
The scenic shoreline of Posillipo, Naples, continues to fascinate visitors, as it has always done with the people who have inhabited this area over the centuries. Thanks to its natural beauty and proximity to the commercial ports of Baia and the military port of Miseno, this coast has been populated since the first century B.C., as evidenced by the numerous Roman remains visible both on land and under the sea in the Gaiola Underwater Park. The very name of the hill derives from the Pausilypon villa d’otium, built by Publius Vedio Pollione in the 1st century BC, which later became part of the imperial possessions under Octavian Augustus. On the seabed, just a few meters below the surface, remains of landing stages, nymphaea, walkways and fish-farming tanks, used by the Roman aristocracy between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD, can be seen. These tanks, infamous for the anecdote reported by Seneca and Pliny, tell of how Pollion was in the habit of feeding distracted slaves to moray eels. Instead, along the coast, toward the village of Marechiaro, the remains of a seaside villa known as the House of the Spirits emerge. To the distracted eye it appears as a building eroded by the passage of time and the action of the sea. In reality, the Villa of the Spirits, which continues to emerge from the water is a valuable cultural heritage that fascinates fishermen and frequenters of the surrounding beaches.
Underwater park of Gaiola, Gulf of Naples. Photo: Guido Villani
3. Wreck Punta Scifo D, Capo Rizzuto Island, Calabria, Italy.
At Punta delle Castella, located in the hamlet of Isola di Capo Rizzuto in the province of Crotone, there is an underwater archaeological trail that extends south of the Aragonese castle. The trail, located about 200 meters from the coast and at a depth of 5 meters, offers fifteen points of interest, including remains of a staircase, two warehouses and various quarry workings. In the bay of Scyphus lies a wreck of an ancient trading ship that sank in the first half of the 3rd century AD carrying a cargo of marbles from Asia Minor. This cargo, still intact and consisting of 54 rough artifacts, represents significant evidence of trans-Marine transportation of marble during the imperial age. The wreck, discovered in 1986 by Croton diver Luigi Cantafora, belongs to the category of naves lapidariae, sturdy Roman vessels. Two routes have been created to allow visits to the underwater archaeological site: one for scuba divers and the other for freedivers or snorkelers.
Wreck Punta Scifo D, island of Capo Rizzuto, Calabria. Photo: Krotoniate Archaeological Group
4. Submerged Park of Kaulonia, Monasterace Marina.
In the territory of the municipality of Monasterace Marina, along the lower Ionian coast in the province of Reggio Calabria, is the archaeological area of ancient Kaulon or Kaulonia. It includes the archaeological park and a submerged area in the sea in front of it, where it is possible to explore the underwater archaeological site of Kaulon. Recent underwater research, aided by coastal erosion caused by bradyseism, has unearthed the submerged site, which features architectural elements such as ornate column ruins from Doric-style temples. This area, currently located between 7.5 and 5 meters deep, has numerous worked and half-finished architectural elements, including fluted Ionic columns, blocks of various sizes, and mooring bollards. This important underwater deposit, with more than 200 artifacts, may have been a processing area or a temple under construction that was not completed for reasons that remain unclear. The columns, dated between 480 and 470 B.C. through stylistic comparisons, add another historical and artistic dimension to this fascinating archaeological site.
Sunken Park of Kaulonia. Photo: Musas Project
5. Submerged Park of Egnatia, Fasano.
The ancient Messapian and later Roman city of Egnatia is located just north of the small town of Savelletri, near Fasano, exactly on the border between ancient Peucezia and Messapia, present-day Salento. It is one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in Apulia because of its extent and the historical contexts it has revealed. The pre-Roman city is closely associated with the Messapian culture, as evidenced by its important ceramic class dated to the 4th-3rd centuries BC. Along a rugged coastline, near the modern marina of Savelletri, are the submerged remains of the ancient port of Egnatia, now at a maximum depth of 6 meters. The port was part of the Roman city crossed by the Via Traiana, built on a pre-existing settlement on the border between Messapia and Peucezia. The submerged structures include two long concrete piers, built according to the principles described by Vitruvius and found at other Mediterranean maritime sites. The large pilae put in place with formworks are an attraction both for scholars who wish to learn more about these facilities and for underwater visitors and tourists who can explore the site with guided dives.
Egnatia Archaeological Park. Photo: Ministry of Culture
Five underwater archaeological parks to discover in Italy
Romans traded fine spices as far as the Spice Islands of Indonesia circa 27 BC which is long before Marco Polo arrived on the Indonesian Archipelago in the 13th century and Portuguese traders in 1512. The Romans traveling to these far and away exotic islands were likely influenced by the ancient Greek seafarers that arrived there centuries earlier base on older source maps.
Spices were so desirable in the 6th century that Cassadorus, a Roman Minister ( 493 - 526 ) wrote a letter to the people living on Italy's coast saying that. "Men can live without gold, but not without salt." As a consequence, during the reign of Augustus Ceasar ( as early as 27 BC ), Rome encouraged commerce in spices and broke the Arab monopoly by sailing directly to the Moluccas Islands (known as the spice Islands) to acquire the spices. However, it took the Romans as long as three years to sail to and from the Moluccas. To shorten the voyage, navigators such as Hippalus, studied the position of the ports and the sea behavior and discovered that by taking the direction of the Monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean, their journey could be reduced to one year.
These exotic spices included ginger, cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, cardamom, cassia, mace, cinnamon, and, most popular of all, pepper. Tasty additives produced closer to home included basil, rosemary, sage, chive, bay, dill, fennel, thyme, and mustard.
What are the Spice Islands colony?
The Moluccas were known as the Spice Islands because of the nutmeg, mace and cloves that were exclusively found there. The presence of these sparked European colonial interest in the sixteenth century, starting with Portugal who virtually held a monopoly on the spice trade.
Did Magellan find the Spice Islands?
Magellan would never make it to the Spice Islands, but after the loss of yet another of his fleet's vessels, the two remaining ships finally reached the Moluccas on November 5, 1521.
The Portuguese began buying spices directly from the Spice Islands as early as the 1520s.
When were the Spice islands discovered?
1512
After Vasco da Gama discovered a sea route to India, it wasn't long before other expeditions made their way further east and discovered the Spice Islands. The Portuguese established several based on the Spice Islands in 1512 .
Which islands did people consider secret Spice Islands?
Secret spice islands
Spices had to be sourced from remote and distant places such as the islands of present-day eastern Indonesia. The Indonesian archipelago boasted two main spice centres—the Moluccas (the Maluku Islands) as well as Java and Sumatra.
Why did spices become so expensive in Europe?
They were expensive and a real luxury product. Spices originated far away from the regions where they were in demand, in the Mediterranean and across Europe. They came from tropical climates, in areas of high humidity and high temperatures, and were very expensive to transport.
What is the story of Spice Route?
The Spice Routes (maritime routes) were established around 3000 BCE and this was two thousand years before the Silk route (the land route) was established. True to its name, the land route was used to trade silks, while the maritime routes were used to trade cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper etc.
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