NICOSIA, CYPRUS—A shipwreck dating to the Ottoman period is being excavated off the southeast coast of Cyprus by the Maritime Archaeological Research Laboratory of the University of Cyprus, in collaboration with the department of antiquities. Called the Nissia, “it is the only shipwreck of this period known in Cyprus, and one of the few that are under investigation in the eastern Mediterranean,” the Cyprus antiquities department announced. The Cyprus Mail reports that three iron cannons, wooden rigging, bullets, ceramics, glass tableware, bricks, and a section of the ship’s hull have been found so far. The project members also want to protect the site, which is a favorite of recreational divers, from looting and wear and tear. For more on nautical archaeology, see "History's 10 Greatest Wrecks."
