Archaeology & History

Atlantis metal orichalcum found in shipwreck

By T.K. Randall
January 8, 2015 ·  96 comments

The shipwreck was found off the coast of Sicily. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 ipswichtours According to the ancient Greeks, orichalcum was a highly valuable metal found and mined in Atlantis, a legendary and long lost continent that was famously written about by the philosopher Plato.

Now researchers have discovered a treasure trove of 39 orichalcum ingots in the wreckage of a vessel that appeared to have been traveling from Greece or Asia Minor before sinking near Sicily.

[google]Far from being a magical metal however, orichalcum was actually a brass-like alloy that would have been created through a process known as cementation using zinc ore, charcoal and copper. It was highly prized in Ancient Greece and would have held a value second only to that of gold.

"The wreck dates to the first half of the sixth century," said Sebastiano Tusa, superintendent of Sicily's Sea Office. "It was found about 1,000 feet from Gela's coast at a depth of 10 feet."

"The finding confirms that about a century after its foundation in 689 B.C., Gela grew to become a wealthy city with artisan workshops specialized in the production of prized artifacts."

Source: Discovery News | Comments (96)

Tags: Atlantis, Orichalcum