Archaeologists have found what they think is the world’s oldest intact shipwreck at the bottom of the Black Sea. It appears to have been there, undisturbed, for more than 2,400 years. The vessel is thought to be ancient Greek and was discovered with its mast, rudders and rowing benches all present.
The 75-foot boat is located just over a mile below the surface, and experts say that a lack of oxygen at that depth is what preserved it.
“A ship surviving intact from the classical world, lying in over 2km of water, is something I would never have believed possible,” said Professor Jon Adams, the principal investigator with the Black Sea Maritime ArchaeologyProject (MAP), the team that made the find, according to The Guardian. “This will change our understanding of shipbuilding and seafaring in the ancient world.”
The ship is believed to have been the type of trading vessel that researchers have only seen thus far “on the side of ancient Greek pottery such as the ‘Siren Vase’ in the British Museum.”
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