News - Weekly Report 1: Back in the water

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Author: Niels Bargfeldt, Ioannis Triantafillidis

The first day of the week, the new students were introduced to the specialised diving equipment used on the ZHP.

For this purpose their first dive was conducted in clear and pleasant water, under the instructions of the project’s experienced dive master and archaeologist, Vasilis Tsiairis.

The week continued with organising the diving gear and the mechanical equipment used for excavating. This included setting up water pumps, electricity supply, and generally getting the projects infrastructure prepared for the next nine weeks.

As a part of the projects training, all the members went through a first aid response seminar because safety is the primary concern when diving in a polluted environment.

After tackling the practical concerns, the first dives at Zea could take place. Every step of the procedures is explained thoroughly to the new members of the ZHP team.

Training in the techniques and methods used is paramount in order to comply with the high demands of excavating the ancient shipsheds at the harbour of Zea.

After the initial training and explanations, each new team member is placed under the supervision of the more experienced divers.

They then apply the methods taught in order to improve their skills through practicing their techniques – Learning by doing.

It is important to stress that training is a continuous venture that cannot merely be confined to the initial phase of the project, but runs through the entire campaign.

Throughout the campaign, each diver’s performance will be reviewed to ensure that the members are complying with regulations and have acquired the necessary skills.