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16.11.2019, ABORA IV reaches Patara in top condition

Now it's all in one blow. After the successful recovery of the reed boat in Kaş last week and the first rough cleaning in the harbor, the hull was loaded today in the SETUP Marina Kaş. The effort was enormous. Once again massive technology and a lot of 'manpower' had to be used. The pictures show a summary of the most important steps of our partners from Turkey.

What is even better presented on the video recordings is the fact how well our hull is still very well preserved. There are only slight discolorations along the former waterline. Both the massive part of the hull as well as the bow and stern make an excellent impression. One would almost have to ask our Turkish colleagues to transport the raft next year to the African Atlantic coast to sail from Safi once again across the central Atlantic to the New World...

However, this wish will not come true because in Patara the ABORA IV is being prepared for professional conservation. For this purpose, the best specialists from Turkey will travel from Izmir to preserve our brave ABORA for at least the next few years. Then I will return to Patara to assist the archaeologists in rebuilding the large structures. Finally ABORA IV will be included in the exhibition landscape.

Patara was the capital of the Lycian Confederation and the most important port of this landscape. Small finds prove a prehistoric settlement already for the time of the Chalcolithic and the early Bronze Age. Even older Obsidian finding from Melos in the environment of Patara can even prove a very ancient long distance trade at the end of the MesolithicAge around 9,000 B.C. Thus, our scientific experiment proves once again how old trans-Mediterranean trade across the Mediterranean is in reality.

Once again, the ABORA team would like to thank the foreign, cultural and tourism ministry in Ankara, who spared no expense or effort to save our research ship for the future and soon show it to a large audience. About the further progress of the "after-expedition" I keep you up to date.