A marble fragment believed to be part of the Parthenon’s architectural decoration has been recovered from the wreck of the Mentor brig shipwreck, marking a significant archaeological discovery, Greece’s Culture Ministry announced.

The Mentor, a two-masted vessel chartered by Lord Elgin, sank in September 1802 off the Kythira port of Avlemonas, while transporting antiquities illegally removed from the Acropolis of Athens, including sculptural pieces from its monuments. The ship was on its way to Britain. Some of the antiquities from the Acropolis, including this newly discovered item, were lost at sea.

Photo: St. Kontos / Greek Culture Ministry

Recent underwater surveys conducted in 2025-2026 by Greece’s Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities focused on areas west and north of the known wreck site. Among the most notable finds was a small marble decorative element identified as part of a sculpted architectural feature.

According to experts, the fragment likely comes from a marble slab featuring a decorative “water drop” (typical of the Parthenon’s Doric style), a motif associated with either an epistyle molding or a cornice of an entablature. Measuring just 9.3cm in length and 4.7cm in width, with the drop itself 6.51cm in diameter, the piece is small but highly significant.

Photo: Y. Issaris / Greek Culture Ministry

Its dimensions closely match those recorded for decorative elements of the Parthenon, suggesting a possible origin from the ancient Greek temple.

This marks the first time a sculpted architectural fragment has been definitively identified from the Mentor’s cargo. Most of the ship’s valuable antiquities were recovered shortly after the wreck in the early 19th century.

Photo: Y. Issaris / Greek Culture Ministry

Conservation and further analysis of the fragment are ongoing, with researchers expecting new insights into its precise origin and historical context.

Greece has been conducted underwater archaeological efforts to recover artifacts from the Mentor shipwreck since 2009.