The seas of Italy, apparently, they still have a lot to reveal. A recent discovery generated commotion among the country’s historians. Ancient objects carved from volcanic glass have been found at the bottom of the sea off the Italian coast.
According to the researchers, the first suspicion is that the artifacts arrived there after a shipwreck during the Stone Age, that is, between 8,000 and 5,000 years ago.
The discovery occurred near the White Grotto of Capri, an island located in the Gulf of Naples, west coast of Italy. The items were located in late November and taken by the local Police Department and archaeologists in the region.
Highlight among objects
Image of one of the finds in the sea of Capri, in Italy – Photo: Superintendency of the Metropolitan Area of Naples/Reproduction
One of the artifacts immediately caught our attention. It is made of obsidian, a volcanic glass formed when lava is rapidly cooled.
The material has a cutting characteristic, and this has led to it being constantly used to create sharp tools, such as axes, knives and even arrowheads.
Obsidian was widely traded in Mediterranean and in the Near East during the Neolithic period. This, in itself, makes the discovery something remarkable, as it is something very old.
40 meters deep
The items were located at a depth of 30 to 40 meters. Some of them weigh around 8 kg and measure around 28 centimeters.
During the searches, the researchers realized that the artifacts were spread over a much larger area than previously imagined. This even reinforced the thesis that they originated from a shipwreck.
According to researcher Sandro Barucci, who has written books about ancient vessels, the remains of Neolithic boats have never been found in Mediterranean waters.
“There are cases of Neolithic boats found on the European continent or in fresh water, lakes and rivers. But the Mediterranean Sea has a pleasant temperature and salinity for the wood-eating mollusk, Teredo navalis. Thus, wooden ships of all ages, when they sink in the Mediterranean, fall prey to these molluscs,” he explains.
The objective now is to understand what the relics are about and where they were transported. Those involved are working with the expectation of finding traces of the sunken vessel. If this happens, it would be unprecedented for science.
