Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Sunken Ottoman ship and lead ingot from Roman Britain found by archaeologists near the mouth of Kamchia River

Photo: National Museum of History

Bulgarian underwater archaeologists led by the Deputy Director of the National History Museum Professor Ivan Hristov found a lead ingot, which reached the waters of the Black Sea from the Roman mines in the Cornwall area. The ingot was found during underwater searches in September and November 2023 north of the mouth of the Kamchia River. The object is dated to the 2nd-4th century. Cornwall and Devon dominated the European tin market from the late Roman times, beginning around the 3rd century AD, as many Spanish tin mines were exhausted. 

This is the first find in Bulgarian territorial waters of such a nature and dating. It weighs 5,35 kg and contains 98% pure tin. Ingot from the Black Sea was prepared for delivery to some workshops on land for making bronze objects or coins. Another important find is the location of the remains of a sunken ship from the Ottoman period. A perfectly preserved wooden keel lies on the seabed. The divers also recovered two cannons and fragments of pottery. The ship probably sank in bad weather. It is believed to have crashed on shallow jutting reefs that are hard to see in a storm.




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Weather forecast: Temperatures continue to drop

Over the next 24 hours the weather will continue cloudy, with rain mostly in the Southwestern half of the country and sleet in high plains. The precipitation over Mounts Rila and the Rhodopes will be considerable. There will be a moderate, in..

published on 11/30/24 6:15 PM

A Kilogram of Kindness collects food for people in need

The Bulgarian Food Bank’s Kilogram of Kindness food drive, is collecting food for the needy for the 12th consecutive time. Four to seven tons of food with a longer shelf lifeis expected to be collected – such as rice, lentils,..

published on 11/30/24 4:44 PM

Eurobarometer: Bulgarians’ trust in the EU is a little over the average for the Union

A Eurobarometer survey has registered the highest level of trust in the European Union since 2007 and the highest level of support ever for the common currency, the euro, both in the EU as a whole (74%) and in the euro area (81%). In Bulgaria,..

published on 11/30/24 4:30 PM