Μία από τις αρχαιότερες βυθισμένες
πόλεις,λίγα λεπτά από την Παντάνασσα στα Νότια της Λακωνίας,
αναδημιουργήθηκε ψηφιακά, αξιοποιώντας τις δυνατότητες της τεχνολογίας.
Ένα λιμάνι, σπίτια με κήπους, ρούχα απλωμένα στις αυλές, δρόμοι και
πλατείες, συνθέτουν μία πόλη με στοιχεία από τον αστικό τρόπο ζωής. Μόνο
που εδώ μιλάμε για την εποχή του Χαλκού!το Παυλοπέτρι ήταν μια πόλη με
άριστη ρυμοτομία, που περιλάμβανε ένα πολύ καλά κατασκευασμένο οδικό
δίκτυο. Ανεξάρτητες και μη οικίες μέχρι και δύο ορόφων, συνυπήρχαν με
δημόσια κτίρια. Αυτό που εντυπωσιάζει είναι το πολύπλοκο σύστημα
διαχείρισης του νερού που σύμφωνα με τα ευρύματα περιλάμβανε κανάλια και
υδρορροές."Δεν υπάρχει αμφιβολία ότι πρόκειται για την αρχαιότερη
βυθισμένη πόλη του κόσμου", δήλωσε ο Δρ. Τζον Χέντερσον, καθηγητής
υποθαλάσσιας αρχαιολογίας του πανεπιστημίου του Νότινγχαμ.Αυτά που
ανακάλυψαν ξεπέρασαν κάθε προσδοκία. Βρήκαν μια πόλη με κτίρια,
πλατείες, δρόμους και μνημεία. Ο βυθός είναι γεμάτος με διασκορπισμένα
αγγεία. Στην ίδια περιοχή εντοπίστηκε μεγάλο κτίριο, μήκους 35 μέτρων,
που μάλλον αποτελούσε έδρα και κατοικία της πολιτικής ηγεσίας της
πόλης.Οι επιστήμονες προσπαθούν να βρουν την απάντηση στο ερώτημα γιατί
βυθίσθηκε η πόλη. Υπάρχουν τρεις θεωρίες. Η πρώτη είναι ότι ανέβηκε
σταδιακά η στάθμη της θάλασσας, η δεύτερη ότιυποχώρησε το έδαφος και η
τρίτη ότι βυθίσθηκε από τσουνάμι.
The city of Pavlopetri,
underwater off the coast of southern Laconia in Peloponnese, Greece, is
about 5,000 years old, and is the oldest submerged archeological town
site. It is unique in having an almost complete town plan, including
streets, buildings, and tombs. It was discovered in 1967 by Nicholas
Flemming and mapped in 1968 by a team of archaeologists from Cambridge.
The name Pavlopetri ("Paul's and Peter's", or "Paul's stone") is the
modern name for the islet and beach, apparently named for the two
Christian saints that are celebrated together; the ancient name or names
are unknown.
It has at least 15 buildings submerged in 3 to 4 metres (9.8--13 ft) of water. The newest discoveries in 2009 alone cover 9,000 m2 (2.2 acres).
Earlier, the ruins were dated to the Mycenaean period, 1600-1100 BC. Later studies showed an older occupation date starting no later than 2800 BC, so it also includes early Bronze Age middle Minoan and transitional material.
It is now believed that the town was submerged around 1000 BC. The area never reemerged, so it was neither built-over nor disrupted by agriculture.
Although eroded over the centuries, the town layout is as it was thousands of years ago. The site is under threat of damage by boats dragging anchors, as well as by tourists and souvenir hunters.
The fieldwork of 2009 was largely to map the site. It is the first submerged town digitally surveyed in three dimensions. Sonar mapping techniques developed by military and oil prospecting organizations have aided recent work.
As of October 2009, four more fieldwork sessions are planned, also in collaboration with the Greek government as a joint project. Those sessions will do excavations. Also working alongside the archaeologists (from the University of Nottingham) are a team from the Australian Centre for Field Robotics, who aim to take underwater archaeology into the 21st century. They have developed several unique robots to survey the site in various ways. One of the results of the survey was to establish that the town was the centre of a thriving textile industry (from the many loom weights found in the site). Also many large pitharis pots (from Crete) were excavated, also indicating a major trading port.
It has at least 15 buildings submerged in 3 to 4 metres (9.8--13 ft) of water. The newest discoveries in 2009 alone cover 9,000 m2 (2.2 acres).
Earlier, the ruins were dated to the Mycenaean period, 1600-1100 BC. Later studies showed an older occupation date starting no later than 2800 BC, so it also includes early Bronze Age middle Minoan and transitional material.
It is now believed that the town was submerged around 1000 BC. The area never reemerged, so it was neither built-over nor disrupted by agriculture.
Although eroded over the centuries, the town layout is as it was thousands of years ago. The site is under threat of damage by boats dragging anchors, as well as by tourists and souvenir hunters.
The fieldwork of 2009 was largely to map the site. It is the first submerged town digitally surveyed in three dimensions. Sonar mapping techniques developed by military and oil prospecting organizations have aided recent work.
As of October 2009, four more fieldwork sessions are planned, also in collaboration with the Greek government as a joint project. Those sessions will do excavations. Also working alongside the archaeologists (from the University of Nottingham) are a team from the Australian Centre for Field Robotics, who aim to take underwater archaeology into the 21st century. They have developed several unique robots to survey the site in various ways. One of the results of the survey was to establish that the town was the centre of a thriving textile industry (from the many loom weights found in the site). Also many large pitharis pots (from Crete) were excavated, also indicating a major trading port.
