They found the world’s oldest intact shipwreck in the Black Sea – and it’s ancient Greek

Archaeologists have unearthed what is considered to be the world’s oldest intact shipwreck, which they have identified as ancient Greek.

The wreck was discovered at the bottom of the Black Sea, where it appears to have lain undisturbed for over 2,400 years.

The ship, with a hull measuring 23 metres in length, is thought to be of ancient Greek origin. It was found with its mast, rudders, and oars almost perfectly preserved at a depth of nearly 2,000 metres. Researchers attribute its remarkable preservation to the lack of oxygen at such a great depth.

“I would never have believed it possible to find a ship that has survived intact from the classical world at a depth of two kilometres,” said Professor Jon Adams, the lead researcher of the Black Sea Marine Archaeology Group (MAP). “This discovery will revolutionise our understanding of shipbuilding and seafaring in the ancient world,” he added.

The ship is thought to have been a merchant vessel. Its design is only seen in depictions on ceramic vessels, such as the “Siren Jar” housed in the British Museum.

This vase, dating from a similar period, portrays a comparable ship with Odysseus tied to the mast, resisting the enchanting songs of the Sirens.

Researchers reportedly planned to leave the vessel at its discovery site, but a small sample was carbon-dated by the University of Southampton. The results confirmed it to be “the oldest intact shipwreck.”

The team announced that detailed findings would be presented at the Black Sea MAP conference in London later this week.

An international team of archaeologists and scientists discovered more than 60 shipwrecks near the site during a three-year exploration expedition in the Black Sea.

The researchers noted that the discoveries varied in age. A documentary about the wreck is set to be screened at the British Museum on Tuesday.