The Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project claims that is has discovered the world’s oldest intact wreck, a Greek sailing vessel which dates back to 400 BC. The wooden hull is well-preserved as it is located a mile beneath the surface of the Black Sea, where low level of oxygen in the water limits decay.
The wreck’s design is similar to a ship that is depicted on a Greek pottery, which shows Odysseus’ crew passing the mythical creatures ‘Sirens’.
The Black Sea MAP project used an offshore survey vessel, which was built for offshore oil and gas exploration. It had two ROVs, one with 3D photogrammetry and video, and the other was able to conduct a geophysical instrumentation with high definition cameras and a laser scanner.
The project was originally trying to study prehistoric sea level changes in the Black Sea region. It became a shipwreck hunt, as it found more than 60 ancient vessels.
This kind of discovery could change the current understanding of shipbuilding and seafaring in the ancient world, lead investigator Professor Jon Adams of the University of Southampton noted to Sky News. He also added that he did not expect such a ship to be found.
The Black Sea MAP scientific team is comprised from the University of Southampton’s Centre for Maritime Archaeology, which is cooperating with the Bulgarian Institute of Archaeology and the Bulgarian Centre for Underwater Archaeology. In addition, Södertörn University, Sweden; UConn; the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research; and MMT, also took part in the project.
