The islands of Levitha, Mauria, Glaros, and Kinaros lie at the intersection of main sailing routes of the Aegean, connecting Asia Minor with the Cyclades and mainland Greece. Literary sources indicate that they are also located at the intersection of historically important sailing routes of the Aegean. Our research project focuses on Levitha in order to locate the shipwrecks around this island, so as to document and further investigate these routes. The arrangement of the four islands creates an arch that spans the distance between the island of Leros in the Dodecanese and the island of Amorgos in the Cyclades. Each one of the islands forms a barrier towards the north, while their southern sides are fairly protected from the northern winds that usually blow during the sailing season. 

The underwater survey was conducted under the jurisdiction of the Greek Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities and directed by George Koutsouflakis in collaboration with Mantha Zarmakoupi.

See presentation of the 2019 survey here. We are currently preparing the publication of this survey.