<![CDATA[Eight new sunken ships were found at the bottom of the Aegean Sea, between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. They were discovered by a group of archaeologists from Dokuz Eylul University's Institute of Marine Science and Technology, which is situated in Izmir, a city in Turkey that touches the Aegean Sea through a small gulf. The IMST trains underwater archaeology students to find and analyze ancient shipwrecks, while looking at other historical facts to deduce the history of the ship or wreckage found. This team has gone on multiple expeditions looking for sunken treasures at the bottom of the sea. The project was carried out for around three months. Deputy Director of the institute, Harun Ozdas, states that the first phase of the expedition began and ended about ten years ago. He added that the main purpose of this project was to expand the inventory of sunken ships. The shipwrecks were found near Antalya, Turkey, and are thought to have belonged to the Ottoman era. The Aegean Sea, where the shipwrecks were found, is surrounded by two countries, and by two seas. The Black Sea is to the north, while the Mediterranean Sea is to the south. Between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea is a much smaller body of water called the Marmara Sea, and the two connect by the Dardanelles and Bosporus. The focus of the expedition was to find ships that sunk during the Ottoman era. This era began in 1299 and ended in 1923. The Ottoman Empire was founded by Oghuz Turks under Osman Bey in Anatolia. The Turks, led by Sultan Mehmed II, conducted a conquest in which they captured the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire. This is known as the conquest of Constantinople, and marked the end of the Roman Empire, which had lasted for nearly 1500 years. This battle of 1453 began the start of the Ottoman Empire, where the Turks continued to advance throughout Europe without much competition. Many Greek and non-Greek intellectuals fled Constantinople when it was taken over by the Turks and went to Italy, which eventually started the Renaissance. Many ships have been found in that same body of water, and one of the more famous ones is the Ulubrun Shipwreck, which has been dated to the Late Bronze Age, about 1300 BC. Another well-known one is the Ottoman Wreck, which has been dated back to the 16th century. The ship is still intact, replete with ancient relics, vessels and pans. The wreck was caused by the ship smashing into a nearby coral reef, and most of the items that were onboard were taken off before the ship sank. Ozdas states that the sunken ships that were found in the recent expedition will be given to the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology soon. Once inspection is complete, details of the origin and identity of the ships will be made public.]]>
Sunken Ships Found in the Aegean Sea
