Discovery: Divers hoist 2,600-year-old shipwreck to the surface

Spanish archaeologists have pulled off a real ‘catch of the day’ by hoisting a 2,600-year-old shipwreck to the surface – more than 20 years after it was first spotted beneath the waves. Dubbed Mazarrón II, this ancient Phoenician vessel was discovered back in 1994 off Spain’s southeastern coast, near Murcia, and has now made its triumphant return to dry land in a daring underwater operation.

Secrets from a sunken civilisation

Two decades ago, researchers stumbled upon not one but two shipwrecks in the area – the first, Mazarrón I, was fished out of H2O in 1995 and later placed on display at Spain’s National Museum of Underwater Archaeology. But interest in its ‘younger sister,’ Mazarrón II, continued to grow. Historians say Phoenicia – an ancient civilisation that flourished from around 1500 to 300 B.C.E. in what is now Lebanon, Syria and Israel – played a huge role in early trade and even developed an alphabet that paved the way for ancient Greek and Roman scripts. Yet, amazingly, few intact Phoenician shipwrecks have ever been found.

Raising the wreck, piece by piece

A special crew of 14 experts made sure this wasn’t your average day at the beach. Starting on September 13 and working like troopers until November 7 2024, they painstakingly lifted Mazarrón II in sections, reassembling the wooden jigsaw so it could be studied in detail. Divers were caught on camera hoisting wooden fragments to the surface, all under the watchful eye of Carlos de Juan, director of the excavation project and affiliated with the University of Valencia.

A leap forward for maritime mysteries

Experts can hardly contain their excitement about studying this ancient boat. Mazarrón II now resides in a specially prepared laboratory at the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, where it will undergo intensive conservation treatments – likely for several more years. Given that the 7th century B.C.E. vessel was found largely intact, researchers hope the ship’s every plank and peg will shed new light on the marvellous yet elusive world of the Phoenicians.

Thanks to these underwater explorers, who have quite literally turned the tide on centuries of watery oblivion, the prized Phoenician relic could reveal fresh secrets about one of the world’s most influential ancient maritime cultures. Forget messages in bottles – this shipwreck’s treasures might just rewrite the history books.

Stay tuned.

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