- A Pearl Mania seized Rome during the first century BCE. Pliny the Elder wrote in his Natural History, published in 77 CE, that the Pearl was the most valuable commodity, prized above all others. Clothing and furniture were adorned with Pearls.
- Pearl Diving took place in three main areas for oyster beds in the Indian Ocean. Divers held their breath for a few minutes whilst using weights to sink to the ocean floor before being hauled up by a line.
Freediving
- In the Ancient World, the only aids to diving were hollow tubes made from reeds or inflated leather bladders.
- In Ancient Greece, sponges and red coral were harvested by divers using weights to take them down to depths of up to 100 feet (30m)
- A Diver can hold his breath for 3 minutes, but experienced Divers could manage up to 10 minutes, and reach a safe depth of 40 feet (12m).
- The dangers of freediving are attacks by marine animals, pressure from depths below 60 feet (18m), the cold, passing out before reaching the surface, and what we now know as the ‘bends’, nitrogen bubbles forming in the bloodstream during too fast an ascent.
- Oyster beds are usually found at a depth between 40 to 125 feet (12-36m)
- Often, over a ton of oysters had to be opened on the deck of the ship, in order to find a few quality pearls.
The Three Main Oyster Bed Areas
- The three main areas for Pearl Diving in the Ancient World were around the Indian Ocean.
- Red Sea
- During the Roman Period the most famous pearls came from the Dahlak Archipelago in the Red Sea.
- Persian Gulf
- Pearls from the Persian Gulf were considered the finest.
- Gulf of Mannar
- Red Sea
Other Types of Diving
- Shipwrecks
- Divers were also used to recover items from shipwrecks
- Navy Divers
- Divers were used by Navies to sever anchor cables, dismantle underwater barricades in front of enemy harbours and pass messages.
Dhalak Archipelago, Red Sea