Spanish Archaeologists Map Underwater Cemetery of Shipwrecks Near Gibraltar

Spanish archaeologists have completed a comprehensive underwater survey of the Gibraltar Strait and Algeciras Bay, documenting centuries of shipwrecks spanning from ancient Carthaginian vessels to World War II-era ships. The three-year Herakles Project, conducted from May 2020 to March 2023, mapped what researchers describe as an underwater cemetery in the waters off southern Spain opposite Gibraltar. The strategic location between the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, linking Europe and Africa, has served as a crucial maritime route since ancient times, making it a natural collection point for maritime disasters across millennia. Despite its historical significance as one of the world's most important naval passages, researchers said the area had previously received insufficient archaeological attention, prompting the systematic survey to document its rich underwater heritage.