February 12, 1996
The shipwreck discovered at Ulu Burun, Turkey, is considered to be one of the most important Late Bronze Age sites ever excavated in the eastern Mediterranean region. It yielded the first royal gold scarab ever found of Egypt's most famous queen, Nefertiti, and the oldest wooden writing tablet.
The wreck's cargo includes 10 tons of copper ingots, a ton of tin ingots, logs of common and exotic woods, elephant and hippopotamus ivory, Baltic amber, bronze and stone weapons, blue and turquoise glass ingots, Caananite jewelry, pottery from Greece, Cyprus and the Near East and much more.
Bass' efforts to excavate the archaeological treasure have been featured as a cover story in National Geographic and in a one-hour Nova program for public television.
Bass has published six books Ñ his most recent Ships and Shipwrecks of the Americas Ñ and more than 100 articles on archaeology. In 1986, he became the 22nd recipient of the Archaeological Institute of America's gold medal of Distinguished Archaeological Achievement, and in 1988 was one of 15 recipients of the National Geographic Society's Centennial Award.
Bass founded the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, a private institution affiliated with Texas A&M University, in 1973. The institute has been involved in research on four continents. Bass concentrates on shipwrecks in Turkey, including an 11th century medieval ship with a cargo of Islamic glass.
Bass' visit is sponsored by the university's Distinguished Visiting Speakers Program and the School of Social and Behavioral Science.