Archaeologists find massive marble head in Aegean Sea

Athens, Jun 20 (EFE).- A team of European archaeologists and divers has discovered a giant marble head during an underwater expedition at the Antikythera wreck site in the Aegean sea, the Greek culture ministry said Monday.

Researchers identified the head as a Farnese-type Hercules and said they believed it could belong to a headless statue of the demigod, which was found in the same 1900 shipwreck and is currently at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Two human teeth also were found embedded in a solid agglomerate with copper traces, of which genetic material can be analyzed to determine the gender of the person to whom they belonged.

Several other artifacts belonging to the ship, such as bronze, iron and nails, have been discovered but can only be identified via x-ray.

All the pieces were transferred to the facilities of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of Greece for conservation.

This maritime area to the south of Peloponnese is known for its storms that have caused hundreds of shipwrecks since ancient times, including the Antikythera shipwreck.EFE

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