LORD ELGIN'S TREASURES FOUND OFF KYTHERA

Marine archaeologists have discovered ancient valuables from the wreckage of Lord Elgin's ship "Mentor" that sunk off Kythera, in 1802.


More than 200 years later after this devastating wreck, marine archaeologists have recovered gold jewellery, cookware and chess pieces from the remains of the ship that belonged to Lord Elgin, researchers in Greece announced, this week.  The ship, also, carried the scandalously looted Parthenon marbles and innumerable other antiquities from Greece, in 1802.


 As mentioned above in 1802, a large double mastered ship called the "Mentor"  set sail with treasures, shamefully looted by Bruce Thomas the 7th Earl of Elgin.   It was heading from Greece towards Malta, intending to land in the UK, but it sank after crashing off the coast of  Avlemonas on the island of Kythera.  It took with it the total of the plundered valuables, which encluded about 17 boxes filled with antiquities, the most famous of which, were Elgin's marbles, looted from the Parthenon.

The Looted Elgin Marbles in the British Museum

Some of the Loot

Following the shipwreck, all 12 passengers and crew were rescued by a ship called "Anikitos"  and Lord Elgin scrambled together a salvage mission of his valuable bounty.  Although the Parthenon marbles were recovered and sent to Malta, ultimately ending up at the British Museum, much was left on the bottom of the sea.

Ancient Porcelain vase from Rhodes

A mission, in 2011, was totally unsuccessful of finding antiquities from the "Mentor" wreckage, but subsequent maritime ventures in 2015 and 2016  successfully discovered three amphorae handles, dating to the third century BCE, small stone vessels and later a cache of ancient coins, jewels, statues, porcelain and other objects.


The most recent mission carried out between August and September 15th 2017, was led by the chief archaeologist Dimitris Kourkoumelis and crew from Greece's European  Euphorate for Underwater Antiquities.  It involved clearing the surviving ship, as well as recovering the movable objects from the wreck.


Fortunately, it has been announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Archaeology that underwater explorations will restart in the site, in the not so distant future.


We, Greeks, declare and demand that the stolen marbles should be returned immediately to the Acropolis Museum, in Athens, where they, undoubtedly, belong.

The Acropolis Museum Athens