ATHENS, GREECE—Artnet News reports that marine archaeologists have recovered a range of items from the wreck of Mentor, off the coast of the Greek island of Kythera. The ship was carrying 17 boxes filled with Greek antiquities collected by Thomas Bruce, the Seventh Earl of Elgin, and was on its way to London when it sank in September 1802. All 12 of the ship’s passengers and crew were rescued, and Lord Elgin mounted a salvage mission that managed to recover a collection of statues known as the Elgin Marbles that had been taken from the Parthenon, but much was left behind. The recent expedition, led by archaeologist Dimitris Kourkoumelis of Greece’s Ephorate for Underwater Antiquities, focused on cleaning remaining parts of the ship and removing objects where possible. Among the items the team retrieved were pieces of glazed kitchenware, a gold ring, a pair of gold earrings, and three chess pieces. For more on exploration of the shipwreck, go to “What If They Never Arrived?”
