All amphorae are not equal

Tuesday 6.9.2016

Today we had more divers and two RIB-loads of people to ferry. I was in the 1st one, leaving High View Gardens at 06:00. We had three new volunteer divers from Check Republic, and one each from Poland and Austria.

Team waiting for the 1st boat to Mazotos work site at 6:15 in Alaminos harbor. This time, we had also two new 50 liter oxygen tanks to take to M/S Queen Zenobia.

Panagiotos and me were again excavating the west part of trench B. This time Dave (S.) was diving with us, first tagging some newly excavated amphorae, and then picking up loose finds to our bags. I spent again the whole dive excavating one amphora. There is clearly an amphorae layer under it. Excavation work is fun and (so far) exciting. You shovel sediment into the airlift, and in the process reveal  new finds next to this one. Every now and then you stop, and let the airlift remove all sediment so that you can see the overall picture before continuing. It is just annoying when that 20 minute bell rings and you have to leave. On the other, you would not have air for much longer stints with current setup. Total dive times are still some 50 minutes.

Two amphorae brought up from Trench B.

Many amphorae were brought to surface, including the one I was working on yesterday. All amphorae are not equal. There is limited desalination space. We will accommodate this by taking only the selected amphorae for desalination. The others should do fine in the sea, because the conditions are exactly like in their original position in the wreck where they have been well preserved for some 2500 years. If needed, any such amphora can easily (?) be recovered for further study.

All amphorae to be put stored in sea are emptied, cleaned, kept moist, and measured and documented carefully.

Sometimes there are sherds and other finds inside the amphorae. Amphora contents are dumped into a sieve, clay and sediment is removed with water shower with some hand massage, and finally you check the sieve for any loose finds. The amphorae are kept under wet wraps that they would not dry. 

Amphorae to be put back are also photographed from all angles, so that a photogrammetry point cloud (and a 3D-model from it) can be built for each amphora. We had a two-person photogrammetry team on-board for this purpose today. Before being raised the amphorae had already been tagged and documented in situ. They has also been photographed (for photogrammetry) in situ so that their exact position can be used in the 3D-model of the wreck site.

An amphora to be returned to sea is photographed from all angles, so that a photogrammetry point cloud and a 3D-model can be built just for this one amphora.

The sandbag saga continued. The two new sandbags were carefully lowered close to the wreck site to determine whether they would be of acceptable quality. We will monitor them closely.

Two sandbags with coarser-grain sand ready to be lowered to the sea, with a lift bag.

Evening meal was again at Pambos' tavern. The tavern belongs to the "popular organization of the people in Mazotos" or something like that, and Pambos and his family run it. The organization is clearly very left wing, as there are Che Guevara, Lenin, and Marx pictures decorating the walls.

Laikes Organoseis Mazotoy, which is run by Pambos.