Scientists who took part in an expedition of marine archaeology, called Black Sea Maritime Archaeological Project, have found ships used in antiquity at the bottom of the Black Sea.
The wrecks, which include vessels from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, were spotted by researchers who had been studying the effects of climate change along the coast of Bulgaria.
"Some of the ships we discovered had only been seen on murals and mosaics until this moment," said Black Sea Maritime Archaeological Project CEO Ed Parker. "There's one medieval trading vessel where the towers on the bow and stern are pretty much still there."
"It's as if you are looking at a ship in a movie, with ropes still on the deck and carvings in the wood."
It is thought that the environment of the Black Sea, which is unable to support the types of organisms that typically feed on wooden shipwrecks, has played a major role in the preservation of the vessels.
Another scientist involved, Dr. Krum Bachvarov from the University of Connecticut said the ship’s mast was broken but its lower part was left. “There is a full load of amphorae. We saw at least two types of amphorae and we found ceramics, kitchen ceramics and part of the galley.”
Processing all samples found and analysing all the data will take years.
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