George Bass passed away on March 2nd in a hospital in Bryan, Texas, at the age of 88. Considered the father of underwater archaeology, he discovered treasures of enormous value and contributed to the development of innovative techniques for the exploration of historic shipwrecks.
Bass, while still in high school, took his first scuba dive in the Mediterranean in 1960, during a vacation in Taormina. This was where his passion for diving archaeology was born, which would become his profession. His name is linked to the discovery of gold bars over 3000 years old, wooden fragments that have helped solve mysteries about shipbuilding since the Odyssey, and other treasures.
George Bass led several expeditions around the world, including to the USA, but his particular focus was the coast of Türkiye, one of the most popular routes in ancient times.
At Uluburum, Turkey, he discovered the oldest shipwreck, most likely the remains of a royal vessel dating to around 1300 BC, a period coinciding with the end of the Bronze Age and the Trojan War. The ship carried an opulent cargo, including hippopotamus ivory, a golden scarab inscribed with the name of Queen Nefertiti (the only one found so far), and what is believed to be the oldest written wooden tablet ever discovered.
The footage refers to the sinking of an exact replica of the ship, which lies at a depth of 25 m.
