The Kyrenia Ship: Recovering a Greek Merchant Vessel

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the story of the Kyrenia ship, a Greek merchant vessel that sank off the coast of Cyprus around 300 BCE. Discovered in 1967 by sponge diver Andreas Kariolou and meticulously excavated by Michael Katzev and his team, the ship's preserved hull and cargo of amphoras, almonds, and millstones offer an unprecedented window into Hellenistic trade, shipbuilding, and daily life at sea. Lucas explains how dendrochronology pinned the ship's construction to 389 BCE, how the hull was reconstructed with ancient joinery techniques, and what its lead ingots, coins, and fishing gear reveal about the final voyage. They also touch on the controversy over the ship's origin—was it Rhodian or from the Levant?—and the challenges of preserving waterlogged wood. The conversation connects the Kyrenia ship to larger themes in Greek maritime history, including the trireme and the transport of grain, wine, and oil across the Mediterranean. #KyreniaShip #AncientShipwreck #Hellenistic #UnderwaterArchaeology #MichaelKatzev #AndreasKariolou #Cyprus #Amphoras #Dendrochronology #GreekTrade #MediterraneanHistory #MaritimeArchaeology #Shipbuilding #HellenisticPeriod #Almonds #Millstones #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo