World’s Oldest Intact Shipwreck Discovered in Black Sea

The world’s oldest intact shipwreck has been discovered in the Black Sea off the coast of Bulgaria. The 75-foot long Greek trading ship has laid undisturbed for over 2,400 years over a mile beneath the surface.

Wooden ships are usually destroyed by underwater animals and bacteria within a few hundred years, but the extremely low oxygen levels in the Black Sea means that virtually no aquatic life can exist there. A small piece of the ship’s hull was removed in order to confirm its age.

The ship was discovered as part of the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project, a three-year research endeavor dedicated to searching for shipwrecks on the floor of the Black Sea. This was primarily accomplished using sonar and remotely operated submarines.

“When the remote operated vehicle drops down through the water column and you see this ship appear in the light at the bottom so perfectly preserved it feels like you step back in time,” Helen Farr, a maritime archeologist working on the project told the BBC.

The Greek ship is just one of over 60 vessels discovered by the team in the past three years. The most recent ships discovered date back to the 17th century. Their discoveries will be chronicled in a documentary to be released later today.

According to the team, they don’t plan to bring the ship to the surface out of fear that it will break apart if it is moved. Still, as Black Sea MAP team member Jon Adams told The Washington Post, “this will change our understanding of shipbuilding and seafaring in the ancient world.”