The Peristera merchant ship is estimated to have had the capacity to carry some 4,000 amphorae and effected a displacement of 120 tons.
Discovered accidentally by fishermen in 1985, extensive excavations occurred on this significant archaeological site in 1990. Its ongoing study has yielded valuable information to the study of Greek and Mediterranean underwater archaeology including the advanced understanding of shipbuilding and nautical engineering the classical Greeks possessed, far ahead of their time.
Located at the islet of Peristera near Alonissos, in the complex of the Northern Sporades islands, the Peristera wreck was not only a pioneer in ancient times but has paved the way for a new dimension of underwater archaeology in today’s world.
In 2020 the shipwreck of Peristera opened to the public for divers and became the first underwater ancient archaeological museum in Greece – and the world.