Take yourself through a mental journey reaching back 2,400 years. Picture yourself on a ship riding the high sees. Got it? Okay. Let’s move on…

It’s early evening and you’re thinking and dreading the monotonous dinner that’s always served.

You find yourself a place to eat, and finally glance over at the meal being served. But wait… To your delight and amazement, you see a fresh salad covered with Italian dressing!

Ahh… wait. This story is ruined. Your suspension of disbelief has to be shattered. Italian salad dressing 2,300 years ago? No way. Salad dressing can’t be that old. Can it?

Well… maybe it is…

Today, November 8, LiveScience.com reported about an unusual discovery found from a 2,400-year old shipwreck. The shipwreck of a Greek cargo ship was found off the coast of the Greek island of Chios in the Aegean Sea.

More interestingly, the find contained ceramic jars that were 230 feet (70 meters) below sea. At least two were hauled up by a robot and the analysis of the contents - through DNA - have come to light.

That in itself is interesting considering the report indicates there was no visible signs of what the jars contained. The thousands of years underwater did their job. But scrapings from inside the jars could indeed be analyzed.

The findings from one of the jars? Olive oil and oregano. Yes, ingredients for salad dressing!

The contents of the jars helped archeologist get a clearer, and unexpected, insight into the Greek island of Chios, where the ship likely originated. It also leads them to paths of other discoveries for different regions.

You’ll want to read the full article, Ingredients for Salad Dressing Found in 2,400-year-old Shipwreck.