In pics - Giant marble head of Hercules pulled up from shipwreck site in Greece
Head of Hercules | Photo: Nikos Giannoulakis |
The researchers had to remove three huge boulders that covered the wreck at the bottom of the seabed to find the sculpture - along with another statue and parts of the ship's equipment.
Missing head | Photo: Nikos Giannoulakis |
“In 1900, [sponge divers] pulled out the statue of Hercules [from the sea] and now in all probably we’ve found its head,” said Prof Lorenz Baumer, the archaeologist in charge of the mission with the University of Geneva
Three weeks of work | Photo: Nikos Giannoulakis |
The success came after around three weeks of work from the research team of marine archaeologists and specially trained divers – working at depths of 50 meters.
Ancient shipwreck | Photo: Nikos Giannoulakis |
According to researchers, the boat was thought to have sun in a storm near Antikythera during the first century BC
Precious artifacts | Photo: Nikos Giannoulakis |
The previous artifacts recovered from the shipwreck were giant marble and bronze statues, ceramics and glassware along with geared device used to map the motions of the sun, moon and planets
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