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C4 EAT, DRINK & EXPLORE East Oregonian Saturday, April 13, 2019 Greece opens shipwreck sites to divers as underwater museums By ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press STENI VALLA, Greece — Near the northern Greek island of Alonissos lies a remarkable ancient ship- wreck: the remains of a massive cargo ship that changed archaeologists’ understanding of shipbuild- ing in antiquity. Now this spectacular find is to become the first ancient shipwreck to be made acces- sible to the public in Greece, including to recreational divers. Greece’s rich underwater heritage has long been hid- den from view, off-limits to all but a select few, mainly archaeologists. Scuba div- ing was banned throughout the country except in a few specific locations until 2005, for fear that divers might loot the countless antiquities that still lie scattered on the country’s seabed. Ancient shipwrecks and even many more recent ones are still off-limits. Now that seems to be gradually changing, with a new project to create under- water museums. Divers will be able to tour certain shipwrecks and non-divers will experience the sites through virtual reality in information cen- ters on land. The first of these sites is the Peristera shipwreck, named for the uninhabited Greek island opposite Alo- nissos where it was discov- ered in the early 1990s. The cargo ship was laden with thousands of amphoras, or vases, probably containing wine, when it sank in the late 5th century B.C. All that survives is the cargo, the exposed parts of the wooden ship having long since rotted away. But the sight is spectacular. Thousands of ancient vases, the vast majority intact, lie in layers. Fish, sponges and other sea creatures have made the amphoras their home, adding color and life to the site. In some places, the cargo towers above divers as they pass along the perimeter of the wreck. “It is very impressive. Even I, who have been working for years in under- water archaeology, the first time I dived on this wreck I was truly impressed,” said Dimitris Kourkoumelis, the lead archaeologist on the project preparing the site for visitors. “It’s different to see amphoras ... individ- ually in a museum and dif- ferent to see them in such concentration.” The wreck still holds mysteries. Only a small part has been excavated, and AP Photo/Elena Becatoros In this photo taken on April 7, 2019, an archaeologists dives next to ancient amphoras from a 5th century B.C. shipwreck, the first ancient shipwreck to be opened to the public in Greece, including to recreational divers who will be able to visit the wreck itself, near the coast of Peristera, Greece. experts have yet to deter- mine how or why it sank, or what other treasures it might have carried beneath the estimated 4,000 ampho- ras in its hold. There are indications a fire had broken out on board, but it’s unclear whether that contributed to its sinking. “Was it a piracy act? Was it overloaded?” said Elpida Hadjidaki, the first archae- ologist to excavate the site. These questions remain unanswered. The Peristera wreck is the largest ship of its time to have been found and its dis- covery was of major signifi- cance to historians. “Up to then, we thought that large ships that were carrying 1,500 amphoras and were up to 70 tons, they were built by the Romans in the 1st century B.C.,” Hadji- daki explained. “Well, now we have a ship that was not built in the 1st century B.C., it was built in the 5th cen- tury B.C., it carried 4,000 amphoras and God knows what else and it’s 126 tons.” Hadjidaki said she is thrilled the wreck is being opened to visitors. “It’s fantastic. Twen- ty-five years ago, I was the first person that proposed that and people were jump- AP Photo/Elena Becatoros In this photo taken on April 7, 2019, Dimitris Kourkoumelis, lead archeologist for the project of opening wrecks to visitors, prepares to dive to a 5th century B.C. shipwreck near the coast of Peristera, Greece. ing at me, they thought I was crazy,” she said. “Why should we keep it to our- selves? We have to give knowledge to people.” The first test for guided tours of the wreck, which lies at a depth of about 72-92 feet, was carried out last weekend with small groups of recreational and profes- sional divers. A thorough briefing, complete with historical information and the rules of the dive, preceded the short boat ride from the tiny har- bor of Steni Valla on Alonis- sos to the site. On the wreck itself, explanatory signs have been suspended along the perimeter. The initial feedback has been positive. “It was an amazing opportunity ... to dive at last on an ancient wreck,” said Kostas Menemeno- glou, a 39-year-old recre- ational diver from the cen- tral town of Volos. “It was a fantastic experience. It’s really like diving into history.” Three other shipwrecks in the Pagasitic Gulf in central Greece are also included in the project, which is part of a Euro- pean Commission-funded BlueMed program, which plans to expand the project to Italy and Croatia. More test dives will be held this summer and next year, with hopes of fully opening the sites to recreational diving in early 2021. “Accessible archaeologi- cal sites are one of the most interesting projects — not just a Greek project but a worldwide project,” said Kourkoumelis, who noted it has taken a long time to get to the point of allowing visitors to access an ancient wreck. “It took years. And that’s logical, because underwa- ter ancient sites and partic- ularly ancient shipwrecks are exposed ... and fragile,” he said, noting it was cru- cial to properly set up the project and the dive condi- tions, making sure the sites are protected before they can be opened to the public. “All the conditions must be ensured so that these sites remain safe in the future and for future gener- ations,” he added. ——— Follow Becatoros on https://twitter.com/ElenaBec AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN Forget white rice or even brown rice. Try red rice tonight Regular white rice; aromatic basmati; chewy, healthful brown rice; and even rustic wild rice are common pantry items. But there’s one rice variety that doesn’t get enough play: red rice. Red rice sports — sur- prise — a red husk, and it has a nutty flavor and is highly nutritious. For a rice and grain salad that was colorful, hearty, and a lit- tle out of the ordinary, we mixed this healthful rice with nutty quinoa, cooking both in the same pot using the pasta method. We gave the rice a 15-minute head start and then added the quinoa to the pot to ensure that both grains were done at the same time. Then we drained them, drizzled them with lime juice to add bright fla- vor, and let them cool. Next, we looked for ingredients that would make this salad fresh and a AP Photo/Carl Tremblay This undated photo provided by America’s Test Kitchen in March 2019 shows Red Rice and Quinoa Salad in Brookline, Mass. This recipe appears in the cookbook “Vegan for Everybody.” little sweet. We added dates and orange segments for sweetness (and used some of the orange juice in our dressing). Cilantro and red pepper flakes added a fresh bite and a bit of spiciness to round it out. If you buy unwashed quinoa (or if you are unsure whether it’s washed), be sure to rinse it before cook- ing to remove its bitter protective coating (called saponin). RED RICE AND QUINOA SALAD Servings: 4-6 Start to finish: 45 minutes 3/4 cup red rice Salt and pepper 3/4 cup prewashed white quinoa 3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes) 2 oranges 1 small shallot, minced 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro plus 1 cup leaves 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 6 ounces pitted dates, chopped (1 cup) Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot over high heat. Add rice and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add quinoa to pot and continue to cook until grains are tender, 12 to 14 min- utes. Drain rice-quinoa mixture, spread over rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons lime juice, and let cool completely, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut away peel and pith from oranges. Holding fruit over bowl, use paring knife to slice between membranes to release segments. Cut seg- ments in half crosswise. If needed, squeeze orange membranes to equal 2 tablespoons juice in bowl. Whisk 2 tablespoons orange juice, remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, shallot, minced cilantro, and pepper flakes together in large bowl. Whisking con- stantly, slowly drizzle in oil. Add rice-quinoa mixture, dates, orange segments, and remaining 1 cup cilantro leaves, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pep- per to taste, and serve. ——— Nutrition information per serving: 348 calories; 96 calories from fat; 11 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 397 mg sodium; 62 g carbohy- drate; 7 g fiber; 25 g sugar; 6 g protein.
