by Alexia Vlachou

ATHENS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) - The largest solar-powered boat in the world, the Turanor Planet Solar, sailed in Piraeus port in Greece on Monday to take part in an underwater archaeological investigation off the coasts of Peloponnese peninsula.

“The largest museum of the world is in the Greek sea. There are more than 1,500 shipwrecks down there and their research will help us understand more about our origins,” Greek Minister of Culture, Konstantinos Tassoulas said along with the scientific crew of the 31-meters- long catamaran during a press conference.

The vessel arrived in Greece to explore one of Europe's oldest human settlements off the Franchthi cave in the Argolic Gulf, in the southeast of Peloponnese.

There have been more than 60 years, since a young enthusiast of archaeology discovered by accident fragments from Neolithic vessels in the beach in front of the Franchthi cave in Argolida.

In 1979, the American School of Classical Studies started making some research in the area, but the technological equipment that time wasn’t developed enough to continue the project.

“Today, having in our disposal much more knowledge, the latest technologies and important experience, we start again this research”, Greek Minister of Culture added.

The research mission, organized by the Swiss school of archaeology and the Greek ministry of Culture, will explore around the Franchthi cave in the Argolic gulf from August 11 until August 22 to find one of the oldest villages in Greece and Europe.

Not only has the combination of the underwater archaeology and the latest technologies great significance, but also the ecological meaning of the whole project.

The Turanor Planet Solar, built in Germany and currently used as a floating marine research laboratory by Geneva University, is the first ever solar electric vehicle with over 500 square meters of solar panels to circumnavigate the globe. Endit

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