Deep below the surface of the Mediterranean off the French coast, the pincer of a remotely guided underwater robot delicately closes around a centuries-old jug lying near a 16th-century shipwreck.
"You have to be extremely precise so as not to damage the site, so as not to stir up sediment," says navy officer Sebastien, who cannot give his second name for security reasons.
kAmp EH@\9@FC ;@FC?6J 7C@> E96 uC6?49 #:G:6C2[ $632DE:6? :D @G6CD66:?8 E96 7:CDE @7 D6G6C2= 2C4926@=@8:42= >:DD:@?D @? E96 566A6DE D9:AHC64< :? uC6?49 E6CC:E@C:2= H2E6CD]k^Am
kAmp C@FE:?6 2C>J DFCG6J @7 E96 D62365 F?4@G6C65 E96 `eE9\46?EFCJ >6C492?E D9:A 3J 492?46 =2DE J62C :? H2E6CD @77 E96 4@2DE @7 #2>2EF6==6[ 4=@D6 E@ $2:?E\%C@A6K]k^Am
kAmpC4926@=@8:DED 36=:6G6 E96 D9:A H2D D2:=:?8 7C@> ?@CE96C? xE2=J =@2565 H:E9 46C2>:4D 2?5 >6E2= 32CD 367@C6 :E D2?<]k^Am
kAm}@H E96 uC6?49 ?2GJ 2?5 E96 4F=EFC6 >:?:DECJVD F?56CH2E6C 2C4926@=@8J 56A2CE>6?E 2C6 324< E@ :?DA64E E96 DFCG:G:?8 2CE6724ED =@DE >@C6 E92? a[d__ >6EC6D W`]d >:=6DX 36=@H D62 =6G6=]k^Am
k9am\ r2??@?[ A:=6D @7 ;F8D \k^9am
kAm%96 ?2GJ :D <66A:?8 D64C6E E96 =@42E:@? @7 E96 HC64<286 D:E6[ H9:49 E96J 92G6 5F3365 Qr2>2C2E cQ Â \\ 6G6? :7 >@DE A6@A=6 H@F=5 F?=:<6=J 92G6 E96 >62?D E@ C6249 2 D:E6 D@ 566A]k^Am
kAm%96 DF? 92D 32C6=J C:D6? H96? E96 >:DD:@?VD ?2GJ EF83@2E 2CC:G6D @? D:E6[ 42CCJ:?8 2? F?56CH2E6C C@3@E 2?5 EH@ =2C86 4@?E2:?6CD 24E:?8 2D >2<6D9:7E @77:46D 7@C >2C:?6 2C4926@=@8:DED]k^Am
kAmxED 4C6H =@H6C E96 C@3@E \\ H9:49 :D 6BF:AA65 H:E9 42>6C2D 2D H6== 2D A:?46CD \\ :?E@ E96 H2E6C]k^Am
kAmp ?2GJ @77:46C 8F:56D E96 C@3@E 5@H?[ =:?<65 E@ E96 D9:A E9C@F89 2 =@?8 423=6[ 2D 6IA6CED >@?:E@C :ED D=@H 56D46?E @? D4C66?D]k^Am
kAmp? 9@FC =2E6C[ E96 56G:46 \\ H9:49 :D 56D:8?65 E@ A=F?86 2D 566A 2D c[___ >6EC6D \\ :D 8=:5:?8 @G6C A:=6D @7 C@F?5 A:E496CD @? E96 D62 7=@@C]k^Am
kAm$=@H=J[ E9C@F89 :ED 42>6C2D[ :E C6G62=D E96 HC64< E@ E96 E62> D:EE:?8 @? 564<]k^Am
kAmxE 42AEFC6D 7@@E286 @7 2 42??@?[ 2D H6== 2D 9F?5C65D @7 A:E496CD 2?5 A=2E6D[ 564@C2E65 H:E9 7=@C2= >@E:7D[ 4C@DD6D 2?5 7:D9]k^Am
kAm%96 C@3@E D9@@ED 6:89E A:4EFC6D A6C D64@?5 7@C E9C66 9@FCD[ 8C233:?8 >@C6 E92? ge[___ :>286D E92E H:== E96? 36 FD65 E@ 4C62E6 2 bs >@56= @7 E96 D:E6]k^Am
kAmpC4926@=@8:DE uC2?42 r:36449:?: :D 56=:89E65 E96 H2E6C :D D@ 4=62C]k^Am
kAmQ%96 G:D:3:=:EJ :D 6I46==6?E] *@F 2=>@DE 42?VE E6== :EVD D@ 566A[Q D96 D2JD]k^Am
kAmQxE :D >@DE =:<6=J 2 >6C492?E D9:A 42CCJ:?8 8=2K65 A@EE6CJ 7C@> {:8FC:2[Q 2 C68:@? :? E96 ?@CE9H6DE @7 xE2=J[ r:36449:?: 255D]k^Am
kAm$96 D2JD :E 4@F=5 92G6 366? =@2565 @? E@ E96 D9:A :? E96 A@CED @7 v6?@2 @C ?62C3J $2G@?2]k^Am
k9am\ V'2=F23=6 :?7@C>2E:@?V \k^9am
kAm|2C:?6 $252?:2[ E96 =625 2C4926@=@8:DE @? E96 F?56CH2E6C 5:8[ D2JD 7:?5:?8D H:== 36 <6J E@ F?56CDE2?5:?8 EC256 C@FE6D 2E E96 E:>6 E96 D9:A D2?<]k^Am
kAmQ(6 5@?VE 92G6 G6CJ 56E2:=65 E6IED 23@FE >6C492?E D9:AD :? E96 `eE9 46?EFCJ[ D@ E9:D :D 2 G2=F23=6 D@FC46 @7 :?7@C>2E:@? @? >2C:E:>6 9:DE@CJ[Q D96 D2JD]k^Am
kAm%96 6IA6CED 9@=5 E96:C 3C62E9 2DÂ E96 C@3@E =@H6CD 2 A:E496C :?E@ 2 42D6 2D 86?E=J 2D A@DD:3=6[ D@ 2D ?@E E@ 3C62< :E]k^Am
kAmp E9:C5 @7 2== 46C2>:4D 6IEC24E65 7C@> D62 5:8D 6?5 FA 3C62<:?8[ $252?:2 D2JD]k^Am
kAmx? E@E2=[ E96 E62> 92F=D FA D6G6C2= ;F8D 2?5 A=2E6D]k^Am
kAmq24< @? =2?5[ :? 2 =23@C2E@CJ :? E96 D@FE96C? A@CE 4:EJ @7 |2CD6:==6[ $252?:2 CF?D H2E6C @G6C @?6 @7 E96 ;F8D]k^Am
kAms2C< 3=F6 =:?6D CF? 24C@DD :ED C@F?565 D:56[ 4C62E:?8 C64E2?8=6D[ D@>6 @7 H9:49 2C6 4@=@FC65 :? H:E9 EFCBF@:D6 3=F6 @C 564@C2E65 H:E9 D277C@?\J6==@H DJ>3@=D]k^Am
kAmQxEVD @?6 @7 E96 566A6DE @3;64ED 6G6C C64@G6C65 7C@> 2 HC64< :? uC2?46[Q D96 D2JD]k^Am
kAmG<^29^2D^;93k^Am
