Underwater archaeologists have located the wreck of a Greek merchant ship from the 5th century BCE resting 40 meters beneath the surface near the island of Cythera. Unlike typical wine or grain ships, this vessel appears to have been a luxury trade carrier, transporting a rare and valuable cargo of raw elephant ivory tusks and nearly two dozen intact, decorated ostrich eggshells intended for the elite markets of the Aegean.
The ship's wooden hull, partially preserved by the deep-sea silt, yielded several bronze-cased navigation weights and a rare set of Egyptian-style weighing scales. This discovery highlights the intensity of the trans-Mediterranean luxury trade during the Classical period and provides a rare look at the exotic goods being moved between North Africa and the Greek city-states.