17. A Treasure Trove of Ancient Artifacts
The find came to be known as the Antikythera wreck, and a year after it had first been spotted, divers hauled an archaeological treasure trove from its debris. They brought up coins, jewels, high end goods such as finely worked vases, precious works of art, bronze and marble statues, glass items, and hundreds of amphorae, some of them still intact.
Lost in the shuffle was an item that received little attention at first: a wooden box about 34 centimeters high, 18 centimeters wide, and 9 centimeters deep. It contained a lump of bronze so badly corroded that it began to disintegrate as soon as it was removed from the water. All items from the shipwreck were taken to a museum in Athens. There, the wooden box and its contents were initially ignored, while archaeologists focused on the restoration of more identifiable treasures, such as the statues, jewels, and coins.
