Current Event: Greek Shipwreck Reveals Riches of the Ancient World

Scientists recently reported new discoveries from a 2,100-year-old Roman-era shipwreck that was first discovered in 1900. The scientists displayed more than 50 items recovered from the ship in recent months, including an ivory flute, fine glassware, ceramic amphorae (wine jugs), and a bronze armrest. In 1900, sponge divers first discovered the ancient shipwreck near Antikythera, an island off the southern coast of Greece. One of the most fascinating artifacts recovered in 1900 was the Antikythera Mechanism. In 2006, scientists discovered that the Antikythera Mechanism was an accurate mechanical astronomical computer that could predict the position of the sun and planets. It was also able to forecast lunar and solar eclipses. The finding showed that ancient technology was much more advanced than scientists had previously imagined. Beginning in 2014, an international team of archaeologists renewed exploration of the Antikythera shipwreck for the first time in 40 years. Dozens of marble statues had been recovered from the shipwreck in the past, but scientists knew that many valuable artifacts remained. Researchers think the Antikythera ship sank in a storm around 65 B.C. while transporting treasure from Greece to Rome. Unlike other ancient shipwrecks, which often provide artifacts from common daily life, this ship held treasures that represent the finest artwork and luxury goods available only to the wealthiest members of ancient society.

Archaeologists excavating the famous ancient Greek shipwreck that yielded the Antikythera Mechanism have recovered more than 50 items. (Credit: Brett Seymour, EUA/ARGO/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute)

Objective:

Ancient Rome was one of the greatest empires in history. According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 B.C. by twin brothers, Romulus and Remus. A dispute between the brothers led to the death of Remus, and Romulus named the city for himself. At its peak, in the A.D. 100′s and 200′s, the Roman Empire governed about half of Europe, much of the Middle East, and the north coast of Africa. The empire then began to crumble, partly because it was too big for Rome to govern. The empire split into two parts in A.D. 395, the West Roman Empire and the East Roman, or Byzantine, Empire. The West Roman Empire fell to Germanic invaders in A.D. 476, but the Byzantine Empire continued until 1453. Ancient Rome had enormous influence on the development of Western civilization. Latin, the language of the ancient Romans, became the basis of French, Italian, Spanish, and the other Romance languages. Roman law provided the foundation for the legal systems of most of the countries in Western Europe and Latin America. Roman roads, bridges, and aqueducts—some of which are still used—served as models for engineers in later ages. The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles explore Ancient Rome and other ancient civilizations.

Words to know:

• Ancient Rome
• Archaeology
• Byzantine Empire
• Greece
• Rome
• Romulus and Remus
• Ship (Roman ships)
• Shipwreck

Discussion Topics:

1. Ask your students to name some ancient civilizations besides the Romans. (Students might say the Assyrians, Babylonians, Celts, Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Phoenicians.)

2. Ask your students to name some famous ancient Romans. (Students might say Augustus, Caligula, Constantine the Great, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Nero, Pompey the Great, Spartacus, Virgil.)

3. Ask your students to debate, “Who should own archaeological artifacts, the archaeologist who finds them or the country in which they are found?”

4. Ask your students if they would rather live in ancient Rome (or any other ancient civilization) or in modern times. Have them explain why.

5. Ask your students to use World Book’s Timelines feature to view or add to the History of Ancient Rome timeline. (Students may wish to use the “History” section of World Book’s “Ancient Rome” article for help.)