Spanish archaeologists have successfully raised a 2,600-year-old Phoenician shipwreck, Mazarrón II, from the waters off the southeastern coast of Spain. The ship, dating back to the 7th century BCE, was first discovered in 1994 near Mazarrón, in the Murcia region. This significant archaeological feat comes two decades after its initial find.
Mazarrón II is one of only a few Phoenician-era shipwrecks found largely intact. Carlos de Juan, the director of the excavation project, emphasized its importance for understanding Phoenician naval architecture, a subject that remains under-researched despite the wealth of information on ancient Mediterranean cultures like the Greeks.
The excavation began on September 13 and was completed on November 7, involving a team of 14 specialists. Divers carefully transported wooden fragments of the wreck to the surface. The site is of great interest to historians as Phoenician shipbuilding methods remain a mystery in many aspects.
The wreck will now undergo careful conservation at the Museum of Underwater Archaeology in southern Spain. This process is expected to take several more years.
Mazarrón II offers a rare glimpse into Phoenician culture, which thrived along the eastern Mediterranean coast from around 1500 to 300 BCE. While the Phoenicians are known for their innovations in trade and writing systems, many traces of their civilization were lost until the 20th century.