Ancient sculptures lost at sea: stories of loss and discovery

Velentza, Katerina

Abstract

This chapter explores stories of loss and discovery of ancient sculptures in the Mediterranean Sea from the period of Classical Antiquity until today. Through the study of archaeological evidence, literary sources, historical records, contemporary art and popular culture, this research demonstrates the continuity in the reception of sculptures from the waters of the Mediterranean Sea over the centuries. From the period of Classical Antiquity to Mediaeval times and from the shipwrecks of the ‘Grand Tour’ period to the most recent archaeological discoveries, incidents of underwater deposition, discovery or recovery of sculptures have instigated strong feelings of catastrophe, mystery and wonder in both pre-modern and modern narratives. These emotional and conceptual associations have shaped long-term attitudes towards sculptures from under water in the stories and traditions of multiple eras. Through the study of sculptures from under water, this chapter addresses issues of public perception and portrayal of underwater archaeology. The overarching aims of this research are to comprehend more fully human interconnections with the underwater environment and to advocate for greater care in conducting and presenting underwater archaeological research to the public today and in the future.

Citation

Velentza, K. (2024). Ancient sculptures lost at sea: stories of loss and discovery. In Delivering the Deep: Maritime archaeology for the 21st century: selected papers from IKUWA 7 (135–147). BAR Publishing. https://doi.org/10.30861/9781407361475

• Online Publication Date: Jun 21, 2024
• Publication Date: Jun 21, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jun 23, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 9, 2024
• Pages: 135–147
• Series Title: Cultural Studies in Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
• Series Number: 6
• Book Title: Delivering the Deep: Maritime archaeology for the 21st century: selected papers from IKUWA 7
• Chapter Number: 8
• ISBN: 9781407361475
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.30861/9781407361475
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4717941