Scientists Find 2,400-Year-Old Ship off Bulgaria Coast

A team of British and Bulgarian scientists from the Black Sea Maritime Archaeological Project, MAP announced on Tuesday the discovery of what they deem to be "the oldest intact shipwreck" on the seabed off the northern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria.

The ship, which is currently believed to be of Ancient Greek origin, is estimated to be 2,400 years of age, the Black Sea MAP said in a press release.

"With a small piece of the vessel radiocarbon dated to 400 BC, it is confirmed as the oldest intact shipwreck known to mankind," it added.

The reason why the vessel has been so well preserved is because of the lack of oxygen at a depth of about two kilometres, the scientists believe.

The Black Sea is considered to be one of the world's finest underwater laboratories due to its anoxic (un-oxygenated) layer which preserves artefacts better than any other marine environment.

The Black Sea MAP project is a collaboration between the University of Southampton in Britain and the Bulgarian Centre for Underwater Archaeology, an independent institute under the the Ministry of Culture, as well as National Archaeological Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

It is running for a fourth consecutive year from the Norwegian ship Havila Subsea and its purpose is to remotely investigate the seabed with the use of sonar and deep-sea diving ROVs (remotely operated vehicles).

"Never before have the Bulgarian waters of the Black Sea been investigated on this scale," the project outline says.

"Maritime archaeology and marine geophysics will work together recording, dating and understanding the submerged cultural heritage of Bulgaria, contributing to our knowledge of the prehistoric and historic environmental record of human activity in...