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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.




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