Galley gosh
Climate change scientists stumble on rare treasure trove of ancient vessels
SCIENTISTS have discovered dozens of perfectly preserved ancient shipwrecks in the Black Sea.
The underwater archaeological team used Remotely Operated Vehicles to find 60 wrecks dating back 2,500 years, and also galleys from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. They had originally set off to investigate historic climate change along the Bulgarian coast but discovered the ships during underwater surveys. Because the Black Sea contains almost no oxygen, the finds are in excellent condition – even including intact rope on a Roman ship. Ed Parker, CEO of the The Black Sea Maritime Archaeological Project, said: “Some of the ships we discovered had only been seen on murals and mosaics until this moment. 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. When I saw that ship, the excitement really started to mount – what we have found is truly unrivalled.” Most of the vessels are around 1,300 years old, but the oldest is from the 4th Century BC. Black Sea water below around 150 metres is “anoxic” – meaning it contains no oxygen and preserves any finds. The discoveries have given archaeologists a 2,500 year overview of shipbuilding in the region. Project leader Prof Adams, of the University of Southampton. said: “This assemblage must comprise one of the finest underwater museums of ships and seafaring in the world.” Costing €13.5million, the team have used specialist underwater ROVS to survey at depths of up to 2km. The scientists were followed by BAFTA winning film-makers and a documentary is expected within the next few years. Producer Andy Byatt, who worked on David Attenborough’s Blue Planet, said: “I think we have all been blown away by the remarkable finds that Jon Adams and his team have made.”
It’s as if you’re looking at a ship in a movie, with ropes still on the deck ED PARKER BOSS OF THE BLACK SEA MAP louie.smith@mirror.co.uk