To have a complete experience of ANSAmed webportal contents script must be enabled on your browser.

To enable the script on Internet Explorer:
1.Select 'Tools' from the top menu
2.Choose 'Internet Options'
3.Click on the 'Security' tab
4.Click on 'Custom Level'
5.Scroll down until you see section labled 'Scripting'
6.Under 'Active Scripting', select 'Enable' and click OK

(by Paola Del Vecchio) (ANSAmed) - Madrid, JULY 23 - Searches along the Cadiz coast have led Spanish archaeologist Joaquim Casellas to find the ancient port of Trafalgar, 50 metres below the waves and partly buried at a depth of 15 metres below the sea floor. "This is one of the most important archaeological finds ever in Spain" said the Spanish researcher, who previously discovered some of the new rooms inside the pyramids of Cheops and Giza together with Zahi Hawass. In his research in Andalusia, Casellas has employed the airborne radar survey techniques also used in Egypt. The ruins of the port of Trafalgar, uncovered together with many archaeological finds, date back to a time before the Roman period. As Casellas explained to the press, they could go back to the era of the Phoenicians or even further. The port was found in the area of the Cape which give its name to the historic battle in 1805 in which Napoleon's dream to conquer Britain was shattered. The site "has a surface of 15 by 3km" according to the archaeologist, "the submerged part is 50m under water, the land part is 15m below the surface." Thanks to radar survey techniques, Castellas can now reveal that "the port is surrounded by a 30m-high wall," with "a large-scale geometric layout similar to the pattern found in the ruins of Ampurias," the Greek-Roman city in the Catalan region of Upper Empordà in Girona. According to the researcher, several buildings were constructed on the port in successive periods. Castellas has used aircrafts equipped with radar in his search, since diving in the area, a protected nature reserve, is not allowed. The radar used in the research can find signs of urbanisation as deep as 400m, and "was designed to survey large land masses with a fine-toothed comb."The results of the air survey were superimposed on Google maps of area: "They make clear" the archaeologist said "the ancient port is shown in red, which stands out against the surrounding area, shown in green, littered with archaeological relicts and finds." The method used, according to Castellas, "gives us a much wider and detailed view, enabling us quickly to find valuable archaeological sites at a lower cost per expeditions, which is the most complicated and costly parts of research." Interest in Spain by marine archaeology has been reawakened in recent years, partly thanks to the find in 2007 of the half a billion dollars worth of golden and silver doubloons by the North American treasure hunting company Odyssey. But Castellas said, referring to the antique port of Trafalgar, that no old relicts or treasure chests will be brought to the surface. "To recover some of the treasures of the ancient civilisations" he explained "we need investments which are only possible with real political interest in archaeology." (ANSAmed).