60 intact shipwrecks discovered after 2,000 years under the Black Sea

Scientists have found a total of 60 perfectly preserved shipwrecks from more than 2,000 years ago at the bottom of the Black Sea.

Expedition collecting specimens. Video: YouTube.

One of the world's largest underwater archaeological projects ended yesterday, after a three-year expedition revealed more than 60 ancient shipwrecks, the oldest of which is 2,500 years old, according to the International Business Times.

The Black Sea MAP project aims to understand changes in the ancient environment of the Black Sea region, including the impact of sea level changes during the last ice age. However, scientists were surprised when they accidentally found a shipwreck while using underwater robots to survey the Bulgarian coastal area. Most of the ships from the Roman, Greek and Ottoman civilizations were perfectly preserved.

The intact wreck of an Ottoman-era shipwreck. Photo: Rodrigo Pacheco Ruiz.

The Black Sea is almost devoid of light and oxygen and has very little life, meaning that organisms decompose wood in the water. These conditions have helped to preserve shipwrecks in a state similar to when they were unsunk, with many ships still standing, rudders intact and countless equipment and cargo crates lying on deck.

On a 2,000-year-old Roman ship, the researchers even found a rope still intact, and some ships they had only previously seen in ancient frescoes. All of the artifacts the team discovered were reproduced using the world's most detailed 3D printer.

“Black Sea MAP is now approaching the final leg of its third season, having surveyed more than 1,300km, collected 100 sediment core samples and discovered 20 new wrecks, in addition to the 40 previously found,” said Professor Jon Adams of the University of Southampton, UK.

From the data and materials the team collected, they were able to reconstruct changes in the ancient environment, better understanding the impact of the process on the population in the area at that time.

According to VNE