36°30′59″N 22°59′16″E  /  36.51625542697151°N 22.987748828807526°E  / 36.51625542697151; 22.987748828807526

The archaeological site called Pavlopetri (Greek: Παυλοπέτρι) is located in Vatika Bay, near southern Laconia in the Peloponnese region of Greece. It is about 5,000 years old and is the oldest known submerged city in the world. Pavlopetri is special because it has a nearly complete town layout, including streets, buildings, and tombs.

Name

The name Pavlopetri (or Paulopetri) means "Paul's stone" and refers to St. Paul.

Discovery and location

The underwater walls at the site were first discovered in 1904 by geologist Fokion Negris, but little was known about their size or how well they were preserved. The site was found again in 1967 by Nicholas Flemming and mapped in 1968 by archaeologists from Cambridge University. It is located between the islet of Pavlopetri and the Pounta coast of Laconia on the Peloponnese peninsula, northeast of a village on the island of Elafonisos. The archaeological site, along with the islet and surrounding sea area, is part of the Elafonisos Municipality. In ancient times, Elafonisos was a peninsula called Onou Gnathos, which means "donkey's jawbone," according to the writer Pausanias. Pavlopetri was inhabited, and Elafonisos was connected to the Peloponnese through Pavlopetri. Over time, rising sea levels and earthquakes caused the city to sink, increasing the distance between Elafonisos and the Peloponnese. In Thucydides' "History of the Peloponnesian War," it is mentioned that Elafonisos was once connected to the Peloponnese. There are also marks on the north side of Elafonisos in the rock that were used for moving goods with carts.

Origins

The ruins were first thought to date back to the Mycenaean period, between 1600 and 1100 BCE. However, later studies found evidence of human activity as early as 3500 BCE. This means the site includes artifacts from the Final Neolithic Age, Chalcolithic Age, Bronze Age, and Middle Minoan periods, as well as materials from a time of change between these eras. It is now believed that the town was submerged around 1000 BCE due to the first of three major earthquakes in the area. After this, the land never rose again, so it was not rebuilt on or disturbed by farming. Even though the town has been worn away over time, its layout remains the same as it was thousands of years ago. Today, the site is at risk of damage from boats dragging anchors, as well as from visitors and people searching for souvenirs.

Exploration

In 2009, fieldwork focused on mapping the site. This was the first submerged town to be digitally surveyed in three dimensions. Sonar technology, developed by military and oil companies, helped with the work. The city has at least 15 buildings underwater, covered by 3 to 4 meters (9.8–13.1 feet) of water. Discoveries in 2009 alone covered 9,000 square meters (2.2 acres).

Four more fieldwork sessions were planned in October 2009. These were part of a joint project with the Greek government to conduct excavations. Archaeologists from the University of Nottingham worked with a team from the Australian Centre for Field Robotics. This team developed special robots to explore the site in different ways. One finding showed that the town was a center for a busy textile industry, as many loom weights were found there. Also, large pottery jars from Crete were discovered, suggesting the town was an important trading port.

In 2010, researchers from the Hellenic Centre for Maritime Research used 3D images from the survey to recreate what the shoreline around the site looked like. This included the shape of the land between the island of Elafonisos and the beaches of Pounta in Vigklafia. The goal was to learn how the site became submerged and when this happened. Researchers believed that the site was slowly lowered by three or four earthquakes over time. Rising sea levels over the past 5,000 years also contributed to the site being underwater.

When Pavlopetri was built in the 4th millennium BC, it was about 2 to 3 meters above sea level, which was normal for that time. By 1200 BC, the sea level had risen about 2 meters, leaving the town only 1 meter above water. This made the town more likely to flood, explaining its complex water system. Between 480 and 650 AD, an earthquake pushed the site down about 3 meters. At the same time, sea levels had risen about 1.5 meters since 1200 BC. These changes caused the town to be submerged.

Noteworthy discoveries

In 2011, archaeologists from The University of Nottingham found original layers of soil at the site of Pavlopetri. These layers provided information about the people who lived there, including evidence that they traded goods with the nearby island of Crete, which was home to the Minoan civilization. Earlier, in 1968, a team from the University of Cambridge discovered two types of burial sites, showing differences in social status among the people of Pavlopetri. The team identified two chamber tombs and nearly forty cist graves. They also found 15 buildings, each containing up to 12 rooms. These findings suggest that Pavlopetri was an important center for trade.

Dangers to the ruins

The site has had many challenges since it was discovered in 1967. One challenge is moving sediment, which harms the ruins. Small boats that travel above the site move sediment on the seabed, slowly damaging the ruins. Large ships in Vatika Bay also cause problems. These ships release waste that harms the ruins and the environment. Ballast water, which is water used to keep large ships stable, is another issue. Ships take in or release water from their ballast tanks based on the weight of their cargo. Ballast water can carry sediment and tiny living things, such as bacteria, microbes, and larvae of different species. Some of these organisms are invasive and can harm the environment. Large ships are also cleaned with chemicals, which damage the ruins and the environment. Looting has been a past problem because the site has no protection around it. The final danger to Pavlopetri is a nearby power station and a gas pipeline being built from the island of Crete to Peloponnese.

Preservation efforts

After Pavlopetri became more well-known due to research conducted between 2009 and 2013, it was announced that the site is at risk. Many people came together to stop the pollution and damage threatening it. One effort focuses on preventing a port regulation that would allow large ships to anchor in Vatika Bay. To protect the site, people are planning to create a protective barrier made of buoys. These buoys would surround the area and keep ships away. They also want to place signs near the site to explain its importance and why it needs protection. In 2016, Pavlopetri held its first-ever World Monument Watch Day. This event raises awareness about the damage to the site and encourages global communities to help. Since 2016, the Watch Day has taken place every summer. Following the 2016 event, guided underwater tours have been offered. These tours are led by professional archaeologists and organized by the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities and the Greek Ministry of Culture.

UNESCO site

The city of Pavlopetri is considered part of the underwater cultural heritage as described by UNESCO in its UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. Anything related to human life underwater that is 100 years old or older is protected by this agreement. The convention works to stop the destruction, loss, or theft of historical and cultural information. It provides an international legal system that helps countries protect their underwater cultural heritage.