Researchers are urging Albanian authorities to build a museum to display hundreds of Roman and Greek artifacts and ancient shipwrecks that are sitting under the country\u2019s barely explored coastline.
\nArchaeologists at the Albanian Underwater Archaeology conference warned Tuesday that the wealth of underwater artifacts in the country\u2019s southwestern seabed, near its border with Greece, could easily fall prey to looters or treasure hunters.
\nJames Goold, chairman of the Florida-based RPM Nautical Foundation, said the objects \u2014 dating from the 8th century B.C. through to World War II \u2014 would be a great tourist attraction if properly displayed.
\nGoold\u2019s RPM has mapped out the Ionian seabed from the Greek border all along to the Vlora Bay, finding at least 22 shipwrecks from the ancient times to World War II and hundreds of ancient amphorae. Those long, narrow terracotta vessels carried olive oil and wine along trade routes between North Africa and the Roman Empire, where Albania, then Illyria, was a crossroad.
\n\u201cThe time has come to build a museum for Albanian and foreign tourists,\u201d said Albanian archaeologist Neritan Ceka.
\nSome amphorae may have already been looted \u2014 they are not infrequently seen decorating restaurants along the Albanian coastline.
\nAlbania is trying to protect and capitalize on its rich underwater heritage, long neglected by its former communist regime, but preservation still receives scarce funding from the government in one of Europe\u2019s poorest nations.
\nThe arrival of RPM\u2019s Hercules research vessel 11 years ago was \u201ca real revolution,\u201d Ceka said, praising its professional divers, high-tech sonar and remotely operated underwater vehicle.
\nRPM and a joint Albanian-Italian expedition are the only scientific underwater efforts in Albania so far, both with the government\u2019s approval.
\nNow RPM believes it\u2019s time for the not-for-profit Institute of Nautical Archaeology research organization, which is based in Texas, US, to explore the possibilities of excavating shipwrecks, a financially expensive and scientifically delicate process.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s a special environment in Albania, because the coast has been so protected for so many years,\u201d said INA\u2019s David Ruff, a former commander of a nuclear-powered submarine.
\nRuff said \u201cone of the real gems of Albania is the Butrint site\u201d \u2014 a UNESCO-protected ancient Greek and Roman site in southernmost Albania close to the Greek border.
\nHe said INA\u2019s Virazon II research vessel will stay for a month in Albanian waters \u201cto understand the coast of Albania and if we can run a large-scale excavation here.\u201d<\/p>\n
www.arabnews.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Researchers are urging Albanian authorities to build a museum to display hundreds of Roman and Greek artifacts and ancient shipwrecks that are sitting under the country\u2019s barely explored coastline. Archaeologists at the Albanian Underwater Archaeology conference warned Tuesday that the wealth of underwater artifacts in the country\u2019s southwestern seabed, near its border with Greece, could […]<\/p>\n