The Black Sea Maritime Archaeological Project, funded by the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, was a groundbreaking collaborative archaeological project led by the University of Southampton and the Centre for Underwater Archaeology, Bulgaria. It’s aim was to study the changing marine environment of the Black Sea through the Holocene, the last 10,000 years of human history. This included an investigation of sea-level rise and submerged landscapes alongside other forms of underwater cultural heritage in the Black Sea basin.

Scientists surveyed the seabed using remote sensing and took cores to better understand the changing nature of the basin as it reconnected to the Mediterranean Sea after the last Ice Age. Marine geophysical techniques, including side scan sonar, also highlighted ancient shipwrecks preserved on the seabed. Those that were too deep to be reached by divers were investigated with cutting-edge marine technology, including remote operated vehicles that surveyed, photographed, and sampled the ships.

The shipwrecks discovered revealed previously unknown information about the ancient world: technology, trade routes and seafaring communities that changed our understanding of the past.

Maritime Archaeologists work hard to preserve shipwrecks and protect them for future generations. Whilst the ships in the depths of the Black Sea were well preserved and protected, many shipwreck sites have been destroyed by looters and treasure hunters. The UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage adopted in 2001, encourages States to better protect their submerged cultural heritage, Bulgaria was one of the first signatories.

You can learn more about the Black Sea Maritime Archaeological project through their website: Black Sea M.A.P – Maritime Archaeology Project (blackseamap.com)

STEM education materials and short films are available here: https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/collection/464154/black-sea-maritime-archaeology-project

Resources for further study:

Read this article from the National Geographic.
Listen to Dan Snow’s History Hit.
Watch "Journey Into The Abyss - Black Sea Shipwrecks."