Archaeologists have made a stunning discovery as part of Project Black Sea Map: they have stumbled over 60 ship wrecks from across the ages with many of them in pristine condition. The wrecks, which date back as far as 400 BC, are very well preserved, with one roman galley still having its rope rigging.
The reason the wrecks are so well preserved is due to the low oxygen environment in the Black Sea, which massively reduces the decomposition and natural process of decay that the wrecks will suffer over time. Some members of the project who have dived the wrecks have commented that some of the wrecks look like they sank last week, despite being in the water for more than a thousand years.
Project Black Sea Map is one of the biggest marine archaeology projects ever undertaken, and is being conducted by the University of Southampton’s Centre for Maritime Archaeology. The project initially set out to complete a geophysical survey of the Black Sea, but has ended up finding much more than it bargained for.
Throughout history, the Black Sea has been a key trade route between Europe and the east, which goes part of the way to explain why so many wrecks have accumulated there over the centuries.
Check out a Channel 4 News report below.
60 perfectly preserved shipwrecks over 2,400 years old have been found in the Black Sea.
The last time anyone saw them, Socrates was alive. pic.twitter.com/bUBPJnGcHb
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) September 20, 2017