The diving season of 2018 has come to a close
and it seems we are being flooded with ever more news about shipwrecks
discovered all over the Mediterranean .
This time, a Greek shipwreck from 400 BC found
intact at the bottom of the Black Sea is
making headlines. It was located some 80 km off the Bulgarian city of Burgas .
[Picture from Archaeology New Network, Credit: BLACK SEA MAP/EEF EXPEDITIONS]
Using the latest technology, an international
team of scientists is mapping the floor of the Black Sea .
So far over sixty shipwrecks have been discovered, ranging in date from the
Roman era all the way to the 17th century.
At the close of the 2017 season, however, another
trading vessel from the Greek Classical period was spotted and it is now
confirmed that this is the oldest intact shipwreck in history. Scientists are
very excited about this find, particularly since it shows such a close
resemblance to the design used on Greek pottery and more precisely to the “Siren
Vase” exhibited at the British Museum. It could be established that the ship
is 23 meters
long and elements like the rudder, the rowing benches, and the cargo are still
intact.
[Picture from Archaeology News Network, Credit: Werner Forman/UIG via Getty Images]
Originally the “Black Sea MAP” project got
underway to study the changes in the environment off the Bulgarian coast,
including the impact of sea-level change after the last glacial period. In the
process said ship was located at a depth of 2,000 meters where the
waters of the Black Sea are free of oxygen and
where organic material is easily preserved for thousands of years.
At this depth, the
shipwreck is rather safe since it is beyond the reach of modern divers and treasure
hunters. Next step will be to examine the cargo in detail as amphorae can tell
us more about the traded goods and the ports that were called at but this will
require extra funding, of course.
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