Often archaeologists dig beneath the earth to learn about the past; however, there is another place that holds objects that tell stories of past civilizations—the depths of the sea.
Sunken Treasures, Ancient Seas, an immersive exhibition currently at Fernbank Museum of Natural History, “unveils the hidden discoveries beneath the Mediterranean Sea,” according to the museum’s description of the exhibit. “Focusing on a selection of submerged landscapes that surround the island of Sicily and the Italian coastline, this exhibit is brought to life through modern video capabilities that transport the visitor below the surface on a voyage to retrieve ancient artifacts, buried treasure, and historic evidence.”
The exhibition explains that maritime archeology is a highly specialized area of underwater research. One of its panels notes, “There are many ongoing explorations and investigations around the world. Shipwreck and submerged archaeological sites, many discovered and others still to be found, offer valuable insights into the past. Through these sites, archaeologists and scientists learn about agriculture, trade, engineering, economy, arts, customs, and geopolitics of the past. They also reveal insight into historical events that facilitated the spread of knowledge and innovation, shaping our shared heritage.”
The area around Sicily, the focus of the exhibition, is a special treasure trove of archives because of its centuries-long history as a busy trade route as well as the site of many maritime battles. One exhibit panel notes: “Blessed by the sun and cursed by good fortune, for centuries Sicily was a crown jewel in the quest for Mediterranean domination by a succession of empires. Its central position in the Mediterranean Sea is important to the trade routes, and its natural attributes ensured that it was a strategic location to many ancient civilizations and European powers. Warships, commercial flotillas, fishing boats, and crafts of many sorts and origins have plied the waters around Sicily for centuries.”
Making the area especially interesting, the exhibit notes, is its complex history of cultural influences. “Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, African, Norman, and Spanish influences are to be found in art, architecture, and monuments above the ground and buried below in the seabeds that surround the island,” a panel states.
“The Mediterranean basin is often considered the cradle of Western civilization. Its history dates back to very ancient times, beginning around 3000 BCE with the rise of early civilizations such as the Egyptians, and later the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans,” an exhibition panel notes.
The exhibition explores two areas in the Mediterranean Sea, where modern technology is being used “to recover historical and cultural testimony of the past from submerged archeological sites: the coastal waters of Sicily and the Gulf of Naples.”
Relatively recent technology has accelerated the exploration of underwater sites, according to the Fernbank exhibit. “The real breakthrough came in 1943 with Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emile Gagnan’s invention of the aqua lung, a compressed-air breathing apparatus the enables autonomous diving. The invention led to modern scuba and fostered further improvements in equipment.”
Another leap forward in underwater exploration, the exhibit notes, was the creation of underwater vehicles. “Today, submersibles are vital tools for ocean exploration, enabling scientists and archeologists to study oceans, rivers, and lakes with unmatched precision and safety.”
Another panel states, “Maritime archaeology is today a dynamic and globally expanding field, combining science and advanced technology to explore submerged cultural heritage. From ancient shipwrecks in the Mediterranean to sunken cities in Asia, from World War relics in the Pacific to new investigations of shipwrecks in the North Atlantic, archaeologists are uncovering valuable insights into humanity’s past.”
Sunken Treasures, Ancient Seas will be at Fernbank Museum of Natural History through Jan. 11, 2026. The museum is located at 767 Clifton Road, Atlanta NE. For more information, visit www.fernbankmuseum.org.
