Human Remains Found By Divers In Famous 2,000-Year-Old Shipwreck

There's something incredibly creepy yet fascinating about an old shipwreck. Think about when the Titanic was finally found. People were chomping at the bit to see pictures from the inside so many decades after its tragic sinking. 

Another shipwreck is getting some major attention online for the insights it may provide into Roman-era history as well as genetic science. The Antikythera wreck, which is thought to have occurred sometime around 65 BCE, has provided archaeologists with a ton of interesting artifacts since its discovery in 1900 in the Aegean Sea. Divers just found something else at the site, though — a remarkably preserved human body. 

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The Antikythera wreck is one of the most famous shipwrecks in human history, and it occurred just off the coast of the island with the same name. 

In 1900, divers discovered the remains of the Roman-era ship that some believe was a cargo or grain-carrying ship. 

Since the original find, archaeologists have recovered a plethora of artifacts.

These artifacts have included statues, pottery, and art that have helped characterize life during that time period.

The most notable discovery was a device known now as the Antikythera mechanism.

This original "analog computer" was a sophisticated device that was used to predict astronomical phenomena. The gear-based machine has been the subject of extensive analysis ever since. 

When divers returned to the site again this summer, they made quite the discovery...

Human remains were uncovered at the site that have been untouched for 2,000 years. 

Divers from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) made the historic discovery.


The remains are thought to be a sailor from the original voyage. After such an extensive amount of time underwater, bodies are usually pushed away by currents or completely destroyed by fish, which makes this discovery an incredibly rare find.

This photograph shows a piece of skull and jaw with three teeth. 

In addition to the piece of skull and teeth, bones from the ribs, legs, and arms were found. 

One of the most interesting parts about the find is that this is the first time human remains have been recovered in a shipwreck since DNA analysis has been available. 

The potential application of 2,000-year-old DNA is hard to state...

Experts in the field of ancient genetics are extremely excited about the potential information that can be gleaned from future DNA analysis of the bones. 

A DNA expert from the Natural History Museum in Copenhagen, Dr. Hannes Schroeder, said that "against all odds, the bones survived over 2,000 years at the bottom of the sea and they appear to be in fairly good condition, which is incredible." 

Basically, the analysis will paint a very detailed picture of who this sailor, or even slave, was. 

Researchers should be able to determine the ethnicity and general geographic origins of the sailor.

DNA analysis may even be able to uncover the state of the person's health as well as where they came from. Currently scientists believe that the individual was in their mid-twenties, given the way the fissures in the skull were organized. 

Another unanswered question is whether the crew was Greek or Roman. If the origins of the bones are determined, a huge hole in the mystery that is the Antikythera wreck will finally be filled.

Here is a video from Nature showing some of the expedition that led to the discovery.

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