Scuba diving amateur finds 13th century treasure

An amateur diver scuba diving beneath the waters of the Bay of Tallinn, Estonia, last month found an antique merchant's chest that sunk around eight centuries ago.

The Estonia diver was exploring the bay's underwater beauties last August when he came across a mysterious-looking chest lying among the rocks, not very far from Tallinn's waterfront, at an exact depth of seven metres.

Andrey Ossiptshuk found the peculiar long-lost treasure during his recreational scuba diving holidays in the Baltic region, Estonia's national broadcasting corporation reported.

The interior of the chest contained yellow brass scales, several leather knife sheathes, a set of tin weights, knife handles and various 13th-century coins. All true relics from a long gone era.

And this particular find happens to be a very original treasure, as revealed by Maili Roio, an advisor at the Heritage Board who said the chest was very unique and amazingly well preserved.

"I don't think there has been a find quite like this one," Roio told Estonian press uudised.err.ee.

According to experts, the chest's variety of objects and curious artefacts probably belonged to a petty merchant in Tallinn, which by the 13th century had already become a major Baltic port and trade hub.

After the lucky find, the Estonian History Museum has been tasked with the conservation of the rare antiques and will take on board the newly-found relics as part of their future exhibits.

Tallinn Bay in Estonia, sitting pretty in the Baltic Estates, offers scuba diving experts and amateurs alike with wonderful opportunities for scuba diving holidays. They say that Tallinn is a wonderfully preserved eco-site where the sea occasionally brings some fascinating things to the shore. If you're lucky, you might come across a message in a bottle.

This summer 2011 Tallinn will see the creation of a man-made island made of plastic bottles and a wide array of recycled materials found in the ocean. The project's aim is to open people's eyes to just how much plastic is recycled in the country. The new eco-island is designed to raise awareness of the reuse of packaging and materials and showcase interesting products made from recycled materials. People will also have the chance to get up close and personal with the island and take a look at its home of the future and clever technical solutions.

The Eco-Island bus was donated by Hansabuss, with the recycled plastic furniture made by PlastRex and the base of the island – a barge, has been donated by OÜ Vakaru Refonda.

Whether scuba diving in The Caribbean, The Baltic Seas or Australia, there is one major concern for green activists as the things thrown into the sea can easily create a nightmare scenario as almost 10% of the surface of the world's oceans is covered in plastic refuse, with the biggest whirlpool of waste being 30 times the size of Estonia.