News - Weekly Report 2: Excavation in Area 2

Mads and Eva getting ready to dive

Evidence of a crime? Ken’s torso found in Zea Harbour

Eva Mortensen - after dive

Author: Eva Mortensen, Vassilis Tsiairis

At the beginning of the week Mads Møller Nielsen, one of the most experienced members of staff, returned to the ZHP after having spent two weeks training students at another underwater excavation in Kythnos directed by Dr. Mazarakis and Dr. Kourkoumelis.

Having organized both equipment and set-up on site in the first week, we have now begun the underwater archaeological excavation and training in earnest, and already we have had five full days of exciting and educational excavation.

Five trenches have been opened and along the ceramic evidence from both ancient and more recent times, we have also found strong indications of stratified layers, and monumental structures are coming to light at a topographical key point, where two sections of shipsheds met.

During the week we were visited by two groups of students. The first group was students from University of Southern Denmark whom also participated at the Kythnos Project.

They had a chance to see our set-up and the equipment used at the ZHP and to compare that with their experience in Kythnos. The latter was a group of students staying at the Danish Institute in Athens.

Eva Mortensen Reports
Being a student at ZHP is a very different experience from any other job or excavation I’ve been on. I got my divers license just before I came here and I had never tried to dive in a dry suit before. So everything was very new to me here at ZHP.

It takes a lot of time to get the equipment to work the way that you want it. In my first couple of dives I had problems with the suit and the mask, which can be quite stressful when you want to do everything as good as possible.

But as time goes you get more and more comfortable with it. When the equipment then starts working properly for you, you start thinking about the work that you should do under water, and if you’re really able to do what you’re supposed to.

First of all you need to find the location you’re working in - and this is not easy. The visibility in the harbour is very poor and when you are new it can take a lot of time to find your way around. But for every dive it gets better and better, and that is encouraging. Of course I had another diver with me at my first dive.

At this point I also learned how to manage and use the dredge. I’m beginning to get used to this form of working equipment and I’m looking forward to being able to fulfill my place on the team.