For this sunken ship, they obtained a lot of important information. Unfortunately, due to the long passage of time and previous looting, the condition of the ship was very poor, making it unlikely to obtain more information.
"One must admit, the negative impact caused by illegal excavators on tracing ancient history far exceeds that of natural disasters," Harry sighed as he looked at the mess on the seabed in the photo.
"Even if natural disasters cause damage, we have enough hope to restore the original appearance and reconstruct some ancient information from these items."
"But once these items are taken away by illegal excavators, people will never know their true situation and the history they represent."
"You're right. To uncover the story behind this ship, we must find another way," Liang En said, turning to the Greek archaeologist accompanying them. "I heard there seems to be an ancient ruin on this island."
Liang En's question was straightforward. Due to the limitations of ancient shipbuilding technology, ships could only sail along the coast. Additionally, he vaguely remembered an ancient ruin on this island.
"Yes, you're correct." The local staff member was surprised and then smiled upon hearing Liang En's inquiry.
"This ruin is on the south side of the island. A part of the ancient ruins in the mountain valley has been exposed due to long-term erosion by water flow. However, because it hasn't been excavated, only a few locals know about it."
"Is that so?" Liang En nodded to the staff member and then turned to the others. "I suggest we try excavating this ruin, as I believe this ship is likely related to it."
"You make a good point. Ancient routes often approached human settlements near the coast, and settlements that royal ships could pass by must be of great value," Professor Harry nodded in agreement.
"Since we have excavation permits for this area, why not search around? After all, it wasn't easy for us to come here for an exploration," Harry continued.
Given Greece's millennia-long history and numerous buried artifacts, obtaining archaeological excavation permits was no easy task.
Since they had finally obtained permission to excavate the entire island and its surroundings, it was understandable to explore several sites while they had the opportunity.
Especially after discovering the ship, they believed the island's ruins might be more important than initially thought, warranting excavation.
After some brief arrangements, they quickly decided to head to the southern part of the island for excavation on the third afternoon. Given the complexity of the excavation work, some preparation time was needed.
That same afternoon, the editor who had discussed with Liang En arrived on the island and found Liang En, hoping to conduct a live broadcast.
Because this was a joint archaeological effort involving multiple parties, Liang En quickly discussed the matter with others.
"A live broadcast? I don't see any problem with that," Harry nodded. "However, if they could spare some time to talk about folklore and history, I would be even more satisfied."
The representative from Ireland had a similar request, not objecting to appearing in the broadcast but wanting to discuss artifact preservation.
"Everyone agrees to your filming, but they need to include some of their content. I think they want to promote some knowledge related to their expertise," Liang En told the editor and the filming crew after gathering information from his companions.
"I don't see any problem with that—no, it's actually a good idea," the editor quickly decided after hearing Liang En's conditions.
"For us, if this promotional work can have a positive guiding effect, it would be better than our original plan. We just need a bit of time to adjust our shooting plan."
Although it was a live broadcast, it still had a script of sorts. Given the large audience, it was best to prepare certain things in advance.
"Take your time to adjust," Liang En smiled. "According to the plan, we will start excavation the day after tomorrow. Do you have enough time?"
"It won't take that long. Since it was initially planned as a live broadcast, our plan is simple and might only take a couple of hours to adjust," the editor smiled and waved his hand.
"If nothing unexpected happens, we can start the live broadcast by tomorrow noon. This way, we can film a complete process from start to finish."
"You might capture the beginning, but filming the end won't be so easy," Liang En laughed, realizing the editor was an outsider, and explained.
"You know ancient ruins are often very fragile. To get complete information, the excavation pace can't be too fast. Excavating a ruin could take years or even decades."
"Alright, it seems I'm indeed an outsider in this field," the editor laughed. "So, the upcoming work will need guidance from you professionals."
After a day and a half of preparation, they boarded a minibus and headed to their destination. Initially, they saw various beautiful landscapes along the roadside. But as they traveled south, the scenery became desolate.
"These rocks were pushed here by the force of a volcanic eruption," a local policeman pointed out as the bus passed a beach.
Due to the number of people and the significant status of some, the local authorities had assigned two policemen to temporarily handle their safety.
Fortunately, they were in a minibus, allowing them to bring everyone to the destination.
The presence of these rocks on the beach indicated they were close to their destination. As they continued, the air faintly smelled of rotten eggs, likely caused by the volcano.
The island's volcano wasn't entirely extinct but dormant, with ongoing geological changes still perceptible.
Soon, the bus arrived at the edge of a valley and parked in a simple lot. After getting off, they quickly noticed stones left by human activity within the valley.
"We should start our exploration from the side of the mountain. Judging by the current situation, the ancient city seems to be built at the mountain's base," Liang En pointed to the hillside after examining the stones.
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