A team of Spanish archaeologists has managed extract a Phoenician ship at least 2,600 years old from the waters off the southeast coast of Spain. The operation culminates two decades of planning since the shipwreck was identified in the area of Mazarrón, Murcia, according to the Ministry of Culture of Spain.
The ship, known as Mazarrón II, It is one of the most significant finds from the Phoenician era due to its state of conservation.. Discovered in 1994, it is part of a group of two vessels located in the same area. The first, Mazarrón I, was recovered in 1995 and is on display in the National Museum of Underwater Archeology after years of conservation treatments.
The importance of Mazarrón II lies in its rarity: It is one of the few shipwrecks from the Phoenician era that has been found largely intact. “This shipwreck is a very important contribution to the study of Phoenician naval construction,” said Carlos de Juan, director of the excavation project, in a video shared by the University of Valencia.
A detailed and complex project
The extraction of Mazarrón II required a team of 14 specialists who worked intensely for almost two monthsbetween September and November 2024. The process involved recovering fragments of wood, which divers brought to the surface piece by piece. Underwater operations began on September 13 and concluded on November 7.
Each fragment of the ship has been transferred to the laboratory of the National Museum of Underwater Archeology, located in Cartagena. There they will undergo a meticulous conservation process that could last for several years, with the aim of preserving this valuable historical testimony.
A Phoenician legacy rescued from oblivion
The Phoenicians, who inhabited the eastern coast of the Mediterranean in the present-day territories of Lebanon, Syria and Israel, were a key commercial civilization between 1500 and 300 BC. His legacy includes the development of an alphabet that influenced Greek and Roman cultures. However, many vestiges of this civilization were lost over time, making discoveries like Mazarrón II essential to understanding its history.
The Mazarrón II offers a unique window into the knowledge of Phoenician naval construction, a field in which many unknowns still persist. “Although we know a lot about the ships built by the Greeks, this shipwreck gives us the opportunity to learn more about the Phoenicians, whose naval techniques still present unknown aspects,” explained de Juan.
The discovery of design elements shared with other Mediterranean culturestogether with unique characteristics, reinforces the relevance of Mazarrón II as an object of study. Its recovery not only enriches the Spanish archaeological heritage, but also expands the global understanding of one of the most enigmatic civilizations of antiquity.
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