Archaeology, Physics and Chemistry: Thoughts About a Technique Applied by Mediterranean Sponge Divers Throughout the Ages

Abstract

One of the most difficult professions in history, sponge diving/fishing was widely practiced in the Mediterranean World in 19th and 20th century by Turkish, Greek, Italian and North African divers. Natural sea sponges are the main materials of the profession which extends from here to the North America in mid-20th century. Our earliest data indicate that the sponge, which is well known by many ancient texts used in ancient times, especially in cleaning, medicine, carpentry, mining, chemical industry, and military equipment, was provided by mankind to 4500 BC. The ancient texts are rich in terms of information about the usage of sponges as well as information about sponge-divers. There is a consistent similarity between the centers of the Modern Age and the centers in these ancient texts which convey information about how and where the profession is practiced. The main reason for this situation should be related to the distribution map of the valuable sponge species that human beings can use in their daily life in the Mediterranean World. The information conveyed by the modern age sponge-divers and their families show that these people wandered the Mediterranean along the sponge resources. It shows that these sponge-divers are not only interested in sponges but also supply valuable textile products especially from the Eastern Mediterranean ports and market them in their countries. In this respect, the contribution of the sponge-divers -who can be defined not only as a professional group but also as a merchant- to the acculturation process of the Mediterranean has not been realized except for a few studies. The absolute, compulsory, and continuous supply of sponges needed by the common toilets and bathrooms that serve millions of people, especially in the Greek-Roman Periods, is the most important proof that sponge diving/fishing was an important profession. When we examine the sponge fishing history from the ancient times to the Ottoman Period and almost today for some amateur sponge divers, there is an invariant technique for the sponge divers. When the sponge divers reached to the bottom of the sea, they spout the olive oil from their mouth. According to Oppian and Evliya Çelebi, the sponge divers use this method for the similar purpose, however the explanations of Oppian and Çelebi are too different from each other’s. In this study, by considering physical and chemical laws, we analysis these two different examination for the oil-expuition. We determined that the people who lived in ancient ages realized the refraction of waves, and Snell’s law before the mathematical equations found.

Keywords

• Ancient Diving
• Sea Sponges
• Sponge Divers
• Mediterranean
• Snell's Law

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