Pavlopetri - The Oldest Sunken City In The World

[Judi Lynn]

The lost city below the sea has revealed fantastic secrets about the ancient world.

Russell is a Science Writer with IFLScience and has a PhD in the History of Science, Medicine and Technology
DR. RUSSELL MOUL

Mar 3, 2023 11:37 AM



Aerial drone photo of the prehistoric settlement of Pavlopetri, a sunken city and archaeological site just below the surface in Peloponnese, Greece. Image Credit: Aerial-motion/Shutterstock

Underwater discoveries, be they long-lost cities, hidden artifacts, or the remains of sunken ships, capture our imaginations like little else. A great example of the mysteries that surround such discoveries is exemplified in the lost city of Pavlopetri, which archaeologists believe to be the oldest sunken city in the world.

Pavlopetri is located in the Peloponnesus region of southern Greece, just off southern Laconia, and is thought to be about 5,000 years old – dating back to before the time of Homer’s celebrated heroes. It was first identified by a geologist called Folkion Negris in 1904 but was rediscovered in 1967 by Nicholas Flemming of the Institute of Oceanography at the University of Southampton, who described the Bronze Age city as being submerged in about 3-4 meters (10-13 feet) of water. Then, in 1968, Flemming returned to the site with a group of archaeologists from the University of Cambridge to survey the extensive remains over a six-week period.

Using a grid system and hand tapes, which are used to map out perimeters of an area to be explored, the team produced a plan of the city, which they estimated to cover an area of 300 meters by 150 meters (980 feet by 490 feet) with at least 15 separate buildings, as well as courtyards, five streets, two tombs, and a minimum 37 cist graves – a small stone-built ossuary used to hold bones. They also found that the underwater city continued southward onto the island of Pavlopetri itself, where the remains of walls and other archaeological materials were found.

During their investigation, the team also recovered some artifacts from the seabed, which included pottery, blades made of obsidian and chert, and a small bronze figurine which they believed dated to around 2800-1180 BCE. The buildings of the sunken city, however, were found to be mainly from the Mycenaean period, around 1650-1180 BCE.

More:
https://www.iflscience.com/pavlopetri-the-oldest-sunken-city-in-the-world-67811