The Uluburun Treasure
In 1982, a diver found the Uluburun Shipwreck in Southwestern Turkey. It is the ruins of a Late Bronze Age ship that probably went down after a collision in the late 14th century BC. Over a decade or so, more than 22,000 dives were conducted to retrieve artifacts from the ship. Among other things, they found tools, weapons, jewelry, ostrich eggshells, and ivory. You will find them at the Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Turkey. The collection has been dubbed one of the most valuable archaeological finds of the 20th century. It has offered us a lot of insight into ancient culture and society in the Mediterranean. If it were not for this find, we would not have known this much about the Bronze Age trade.
The Uluburun Treasure
Antikythera Mechanism
This artifact dates back to 87 BC or so. Found in Antikythera, it is believed to have been the biggest gear in a process used to predict eclipses and astronomical positions. In fact, the mechanism has been called the first-ever analog computer! This could keep track of the four-year cycle of the Olympic Games in those days. It allegedly had 37 gear wheels and followed the movements of the sun and the moon through the zodiac. This form of technology has not been seen in Europe again until the 14th century. Google recently made a Doodle about it to celebrate the 11th anniversary of its discovery. This is a great homage to something that offers us more information about Ancient Greece.
Antikythera Mechanism
