Drinking cup

A convincing explanation for the ubiquity of these 21c items in the sea has yet to be developed, given that glass and ceramics were both still widely and cheaply available at that time and lifestyles in this period were not yet nomadic. Anthropologists are at a loss as to why, at a time of already diminishing oil reserves, precious resources were used so extensively for apparently ‘throwaway’ items. The reason for their presence in the sea is also the source of considerable speculation. Some analysts believe that a quasi-religious ritual may have been a factor in their use.