Marine archaeologists who examined the bottom of the Levantine sea off the coast of Lebanon, found ancient of the 12 ships that sank with valuable cargo, including the Ottoman ship loaded with luxury Chinese porcelain.
according to The Guardian, discovered on the seabed of the court belong to different epochs. It is established that the most ancient of them was made and sank in the third century BC. The latest shipwreck in these places dates back to the XIX century ad, that is, it occurred relatively recently.
Scientists say that suffered shipwreck here of the court of the Hellenistic, Roman, early Islamic and Ottoman eras. The wreckage was discovered by members of the research project Enigma Shipwrecks (ESP). They are at great depth, up to two kilometers. Therefore, their examination lasted for five years.
Marine archaeologists have used the scanning technology, and special devices have been installed on managed devices deep. With their help, managed to obtain an image with high resolution and high quality video.
Special attention deserves one of the sunken ships. It differs from the others and for its size, and the value of the goods, which are transported. It was the Ottoman trade ship, which sank around 1630. Probably it was sent from Egypt to Istanbul.
Its length was about 43 meters. This vessel was so large that on her deck, according to archaeologists, could accommodate two ordinary ship of that era.
In the hold of this vessel were hundreds of artifacts, and the researchers were struck by their diversity. It was items made with representatives of 14 different cultures, including cultures Western and Northern Africa, China, India, Italy, Spain and Belgium.
In particular, in the hold of this vessel was discovered the earliest Chinese porcelain ever found on shipwrecks in the Mediterranean the ships, as well as Italian ceramics and Indian pepper.
Collection of Chinese porcelain includes 360 paintings of cups and dishes. In addition, it was found a bottle, is made in kilns of Jingdezhen during the reign of Cianciana, the last Emperor of the Ming dynasty.
It was set for tea, but archaeologists have established that the Ottomans adapted it to their traditions. Chinese porcelain was used to drinking coffee. The Ottomans gradually extended this practice throughout the East.
In the depths of the hold was hidden most of the early Ottoman clay tobacco pipe ever found by archaeologists, not only at sea but also on land. Scientists suggest that this part of the cargo was contraband. In an era when there was a shipwreck, operated a strict ban on Smoking tobacco.
“Thanks to the use of tobacco and coffee in Ottoman coffeeNyah was implemented the idea of leisure and civility – the hallmarks of modern culture, says study co-author Sean Kingsley. Europe may think that she invented the idea of politeness. But we found the coffee cups and vessels prove that in this respect, a pioneer was the “barbaric East”. The first London coffee house opened its doors only in 1652, one hundred years after coffee appeared in the Levant”.
