At The Bottom Of The Black Sea Sits The World’s Oldest Intact Shipwreck That’s 2,400-Years-Old And In Near Perfect Condition
For thousands of years, the Black Sea has served as a passageway for ships and sailors.
At the bottom of the Black Sea, a team of European researchers recently found multiple ancient shipwrecks, and one of them is now considered to be the world’s oldest intact shipwreck.
The 2,400-year-old ship was 75 feet long and in almost perfect condition. It was discovered 1.2 miles below the surface of the Black Sea.
A group of researchers with the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project had been exploring the floor of the Black Sea as part of their three-year-long mission to learn more about sea level changes during prehistoric times when they made the discovery.
The ship’s remarkable preservation is due to the oxygen-free waters of the Black Sea.
Since the wreck was so deep underwater, the oxygen levels there were too low for any marine creatures to venture, thereby keeping it safe from animals.
Those depths were also too far down for most divers to access. The ship’s rudder, rowing benches, and all the contents inside it have remained untouched.
“A ship surviving intact from the classical world, lying in over 2 km of water, is something that I would have never believed possible,” said Jon Adams, the lead investigator of the project. “This will change our understanding of shipbuilding and seafaring in the ancient world.”
The researchers think the vessel belonged to the ancient Greeks and was used for trading.
Emrah AKYILDIZ – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
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This type of vessel has never been seen before, except in ancient Greek pottery, such as the “Siren Vase,” which is housed in the British Museum.
The Siren Vase dates back to 480 B.C., and it features a mythological character named Odysseus tied to the mast of his ship to prevent himself from falling under the spell of three Sirens’ songs.
The vessel discovered at the bottom of the Black Sea resembles the one depicted on the Siren Vase. The team left the wreck undisturbed, but they did take a sample of the wood so they could determine its age.
Other prehistoric ruins the researchers encountered on the sea floor included a Cossack raiding fleet from the 17th century, Roman trading vessels complete with amphorae, and a whole ship from the classical period.
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