NICOSIA, Jan 24: Marine archaeologists will begin work in June to uncover the sand-buried hull of a 2,300 year-old cargo ship thought to have been ferrying wine from the Aegean island of Chios before it sank off Cyprus's southern coast, researchers said on Thursday.

The vessel, dating from the late classical period (mid-fourth century BC) is one of only a few such ships to have been found so well-preserved, said University of Cyprus visiting marine archaeologist Stella Demesticha.

“The shipwreck looks very promising about shedding light on the nautical and economic history of the period in the east Mediterranean,” Demesticha said.

The wreck rests on the seabed at a depth of 44 metres off the southern coastal village of Mazotos.

Demesticha said the wreck was also unique because it lies at a depth that divers can easily reach, unlike similar discoveries in deeper waters.

Underwater photographs that researchers took of the vessel on initial surveying dives in November show a jumble of dozens of amphorae — large terra-cotta vases used in antiquity to transport liquids and solid foodstuffs — lying on the seabed in the shape of the ship.

Demesticha said researchers believe the ship’s wooden hull may be preserved under tons of sand. The amphorae closely resemble others found to contain Chios wine, but may have been used to transport other goods in ancient sea trade.

The discovery could provide further clues into Cyprus's role in maritime trade, said archaeologist Jonathan Adams, who is not involved in the project.

“This could provide a more detailed picture of trade at the time that could not be pieced together from amphorae found on land,” said Adams, a senior lecturer at the University of Southampton's Centre for maritime archaeology.

Cypriot research divers will start the next surveying phase in early June, followed by another in October, Demesticha said. The project is being undertaken by the University of Cyprus’s Archaeology Research Unit.—AP