ABSTRACT
From the ancient Greek civilization until today, shers have dived for sponges, which, in earlier days, were used by soldiers as water canteens and wound dressings, as well as for washing.
Breath-hold diving for sponges continued until the nineteenth century when helmet diving equipment was introduced, allowing the intrepid to gamble their lives in order to reach the deeper sponge beds. Greek divers still search the waters of the Mediterranean Sea as far aeld as northern Africa for sponges.
