World’s Oldest Intact Shipwreck Found in Black Sea

An Anglo-Bulgarian team has found a 23m shipwreck believed to date back more than 2,400 years. Hailed officially as the world’s oldest intact shipwreck, the Greek merchant ship was discovered 80km from Burgas, Bulgaria.

Helen Farr, a member of the expedition, told the BBC “It’s like another world.” Rowing benches, the rudder, and even the hold contents remain intact, although it is not known what the ship was carrying.

The discovery was made as part of a three-year academic expedition by the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project, which has found 67 wrecks including a 17th Century Cossack trading fleet and Roman trading ships.

Underwater robotic explorers mapped a 3-D image of the wreck. The team took a sample to carbon-date its age.

Resting more than 2,000m below the surface of the Black Sea, it has remained in such good condition as the water is devoid of oxygen. It lies so deep that modern divers cannot reach it.

The team intend to leave the vessel where it was found. Data from the expedition will be published at the Black Sea MAP conference at the Welcome Collection in London later this week.