diving, deep-sea: Early Diving

The ancient Greeks practiced commercial and military diving, usually with little or no equipment. In the Iliad, Homer describes the use of divers in the Trojan Wars; Greek laws regulating those who dived for sunken treasure are found as early as the 3d cent. b.c. Before the introduction of modern apparatus, divers submerged with the aid of a rope and a stone weight; using the rope as a guide for position, the naked diver quickly scooped up whatever commodity was being sought.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Development of Diving Vessels
• The Development of Diving Equipment
• Early Diving
• Scuba Diving
• Helmet Diving Suits
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Sports