Late antiquity shipwreck
Skantzoura
A shipwreck from the Late Classical period has been discovered near the island of Skantzoura. The find offers valuable information about navigation and trade in the Aegean during the 4th century BC, shedding light on aspects of marine life and trade networks of the time.
The shipwreck and the trade routes of antiquity
The discovery of the shipwreck near the island of Skantzoura in 2008 was based on oral testimonies from residents of Alonissos. Archaeological research revealed a rich cargo of amphorae and tableware, which attest to trade relations with areas such as Thassos, Mende and the Black Sea.
Despite the damage it has suffered, the ancient shipwreck on the island of Skantzoura remains an excellent example of archaeological evidence of trade and navigation in the Northern Sporades during the late classical period.
The discovery
It was in 2008 that the whispers of the inhabitants of Alonissos began to gain new interest. For years they had been talking about small vases that had been pulled from the sea, about a shipwreck that existed somewhere nearby — but no one would point out its exact location. Until one of them, A. Stamatiou, decided to share his knowledge.
Under his guidance, the team of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities managed to locate the shipwreck: a ship from the late classical period, sunk just 110 meters off the southwestern coast of the island of Skantzoura. A silent testimony to ancient trade, which had been waiting for centuries to come to light again.
The ship
The shipwreck near the island of Skantzoura appears to have been part of a merchant fleet operating in the Aegean Sea during the 4th century BC. Although its wooden structure has not survived — due to environmental conditions and the activities of antiquities smugglers — the arrangement of its cargo on the seabed provides essential clues to its size and dimensions. It is likely a medium-to-large ship, designed to transport large quantities of goods.
The concentration of amphorae, combined with the presence of table and storage vessels, reveals the nature of the cargo: a variety of goods, probably wine and other products, destined for trading posts in the Aegean and Black Seas. This shipwreck constitutes a valuable evidence of the commercial activity and maritime networks of the late classical period.
The cargo
The wreck’s cargo is scattered on the slope of the rocky coast, covering the seabed at a depth of -29 to -38 meters. The total area it occupies is approximately 27 × 12.5 meters and consists mainly of amphorae, which are concentrated in various locations.
In the eastern, shallower part of the wreck, a large cluster of packed amphorae dominates, in which amphorae of the Thasos, Mendis and Solocha I types are mainly found. Further west, a second, smaller cluster is seen, while others, almost destroyed due to the activity of antiquities smugglers, can be distinguished. Individual finds of amphorae are encountered down to a depth of -38.5 meters, following the slope of the rocky bottom and the sandy areas formed between the seabed terraces.
Scattered among the amphorae, especially to the west of the first cluster, are Attic vessels, both table and storage. Among them, type A skyphoi stand out, as well as vessels such as Guttus-type pot, kantharis, kylices, kyathia, small plates, lekythi and lamps. The cooking and storage vessels also include cauldrons, a bucket and the shells of large pithons. Lead pieces of various types are also found scattered on the bottom.
Mende, a colony of Eretria on the western coast of Chalkidiki, was famous since antiquity for the production of its excellent quality wine, which is also mentioned in ancient sources, such as Athenaeus and Demosthenes. Mende’s wine was exported throughout the Aegean and Mediterranean, contributing significantly to the economic prosperity of the city.
The pointed-bottom “Mende” amphorae served as the region’s main export vessel and were among the most widespread commercial amphora types of the 5th century BC. They are characterized by their elongated shape, narrow neck, curved body, and conical base — features that facilitated stable loading in ship holds and the efficient transport of large quantities of liquid goods.