The hunt for sunken settlements and ancient shipwrecks

   ATLIT-YAM

• was a village on coast of eastern Mediterranean

• thrived until about 7,000 BC

• stone homes had a courtyard

• had a semicircle of large stones round a   

• cause of destruction unknown - now under the sea

• biggest settlement from the prehistoric period found on the seabed

• research carried out into structures,     and human remains

  TRADITIONAL AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER VEHICLES (AUVs)

• used in the oil industry, e.g. to make   

• problems: they were expensive and   

  LATEST AUVs

• much easier to use, relatively cheap, sophisticated

  Tests:

• Marzamemi, Sicily: found ancient Roman ships carrying architectural elements made of   

  Underwater internet:

•     is used for short distance communication, acoustic waves for long distance

• plans for communication with researchers by satellite

• AUV can send data to another AUV that has better     for example

  Planned research in Gulf of Baratti:

• to find out more about wrecks of ancient Roman ships, including

       — one carrying    supplies; tablets may have been used for cleaning the   

       一 others carrying containers of olive oil or