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The anchor stock is of a type that was widely used by Greek, Punic and Roman sailors between the fourth century BC and the fourth century AD. During that period, most anchors were made from lead and wood.

In the Mediterranean, conditions on the seabed are usually unfavorable for
the preservation of wood. As a result, in most cases only the lead components
of the anchor are preserved. It was a fairly common occurance for such anchors to wedge themselves between boulders on the seabed so tightly that they
could not be lifted again.

In fact as can be seen in the images the anchor stock is bent at one point, suggesting that it had got firmly wedged on the seabed.

 

  
 

 
The recovery operation was mounted by the Malta Museums Department with
the assistance of Carmelo Pace who found it, and other sport divers. The stock
is about 1.7metre long and weighs in at 300 kilograms.

 

This is a replica of how it is believed that the anchor would have looked like as it settled on the seabed.
 
 

All text and photographs © Simon Theuma. No image is to be copied, duplicated, modified or redistributed in whole or part
without the prior written permission of Simon Theuma.

Diverse Sea Simon Theuma Underwater Photographer 139 Eucharistic Congress Road Mosta Malta Tel. +356 9942 1123 diverse@onvol.net