A human tooth has been found buried in the lower sediment of a Phoenician shipwreck, found off Gozo 14 years ago, in a discovery that could have huge archeological repercussions.

The tooth – a lower, right, first molar – is the first human remains found on the Phoenician wreck discovered in 2007, explained marine archeologist Timmy Gambin, who is also the project director of the Phoenician Shipwreck Project.

So far, local dental experts believe the tooth belonged to a young person since it had little wear and the internal pulp chamber was large.

“This is the first human remains found on this wreck. The implications are huge. We are looking to collaborate with international experts to first try to carbon date the tooth.... Next, we will look at DNA to try to determine any possible links with modern Maltese genetics, try to determine the origin and so much more,” Gambin said.

It could also help possibly give more insight of the people on board the ship.

The wreck was one of only seven discovered Phoenician shipwrecks in the world.

Various archaeological remains, including amphorae, were found on the Phoenician shipwreck off Xlendi Bay. PHOTO: JOHN WOOD/UNIVERSITY OF MALTA

The discovery

The wreck was found during an offshore remote sensing survey aimed at mapping Malta’s underwater cultural heritage. A small anomaly, noted in the sonar data, turned out to be one of the most intriguing recent underwater archaeological discoveries. 

Situated at a depth of 110m off Xlendi Bay in Gozo, the Phoenician shipwreck consists of an intact and well-preserved mixed cargo ship datable to the 7th century BC.

All that was visible to the naked eye was the upper cargo layer made of stone and ceramic objects, which are now shedding light on the economic history and trade networks of the Central Mediterranean during the Archaic period. The ceramics, concentrated in the middle part of the shipwreck, included amphorae from various parts of the central Mediterranean, as well as various types of urns.

Exploration

Once the age and typology of the shipwreck were identified, a Sub Bottom Profiler was deployed and results showed close to two metres of archaeological remains buried in the seabed.

It was not until 2014, however, that an international team was formed to conduct further studies. A manned submersible was used to explore the shipwreck in close proximity while using three high-resolution still cameras to obtain thousands of photographs.  Four years ago, an excavation project – funded by the Gozo Ministry, the Malta Tourism Authority, Malta International Airport, Heritage Malta and the Honor Frost Foundation – started. This involved excavating a trench – four metres long, two metres wide and one metre deep – into the wreck’s surface.

Using a water dredger, these four years yielded eight cubic metres of sediment and archaeology that included over 30 ceramic objects, including a rare Phoenician bowl and cookware.

One of the most significant discoveries has been the uncovering of six planks belonging to the hull. This shed light on shipbuilding systems of the time where they used 10cm wide pine blanks secured with wooden nails and used a mortice and tenon system to interlock the wood.

Now, a few weeks ago, another major discovery was made when the tooth was found among the sediment that is collected and sieved through.

What's next?

Gambin said this year brought the exploration project to an end.

“We achieved the objectives we set out for through this project. Now I feel that we have come as far as we can with the technology we have today. Every time we dive, it takes us six minutes to go down to be able to spend 14 minutes under water. Then it takes two-and-a-half hours to resurface. We need to decide whether to leave the wreck for future generations to continue exploring with future technology, or to invest heavily into it and excavate more,” he said.