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Trade was fast on the Black Sea around 400 BC.
Well nourished by the grain of East Asia and fed by forced labor, large coastal towns had risen along its shores and were now buzzing with merchants trading Greek, Persian, Scythian and Thracian languages.
Greek merchant ships crossed over commercial shipping routes, carrying exotic goods to Black Sea ports before heading west.
Yet, during major storms, more than a few ships sank into the sea and lost their memory.
At present, a ship has emerged after more than two millennia after sleeping under the waves – and it could offer the best insight into life at the time of the Black Sea traders.
Scientists from the Black Sea Maritime Archeology project announced Tuesday that they have discovered the world's oldest intact sinking, a 2,400-year-old Greek merchant vessel that appears to have been frozen more than one kilometer from the surface. some water.
"A small piece of the ship has been carbon dated and it is confirmed that it is the oldest intact shipwreck that man has known," said the project in a statement.
This vessel of about 75 feet, discovered about 50 miles off the Bulgarian coast, dates back to about 400 BC. BC – when the Black Sea was dotted with trading colonies related to various Greek cities such as Athens and Sparta.
It is the oldest of more than 60 ships of this type belonging to the Roman, Ottoman and Byzantine empires on which the project fell by chance when carrying out a study on the effects of the. rising sea level on the Black Sea, according to the researchers.
Intact vessels of its kind have largely survived only in paintings and pottery, such as the famous Mermaid Vase depicting the Homeric hero Ulysses struggling with mythological Sirens.
Helen Farr, a member of the project, told the BBC that her group's historical discovery was staggering as to what information she could now provide.
"It's like another world," Farr said of the ghostly face under the waves.
"That's when the ROV [remote operated vehicle] Drops descend into the water column and you see this ship appear in the light of the light at the bottom, so perfectly preserved. You have the impression of going back to the past, "she said.
The old wreck has withstood decadence thanks to a geological stirring of the Black Sea that creates pockets of water devoid of oxygen and inhospitable for microorganisms that normally make shipwrecks disappear. .
"What they found in the Black Sea is so spectacular because it is the superstructure of the ship," said The Post Elizabeth Greene, a professor at Brock University and specialist in classic wrecks .
"The rails, the mast, the harbors for rowers – these are the kinds of discoveries you would probably only discover in this type of environment."
The cargo of the ship remains a mystery for the moment.
The archeology project does not have the money to open the wreck and list its treasures for the moment, researchers said.
Similar wrecks have been found to contain wine stored in ancient jars called amphorae.
Sacks of grain, furs, seafood and slaves were also often traded along the ancient Black Sea routes, according to Antonis Kotsonas, assistant professor of Mediterranean history and archeology in The Institute of Ancient World Studies of the University of New York (NYU).
"The degree of preservation is really amazing," he told The Post.
"It promises important discoveries in the wreck. Products must be preserved at least to a certain extent, which will also be very important. "
The wreck looks a lot like the destroyed ship immortalized on the Siren vase.
The relic of Greek pottery depicts Ulysses confronting the mythical Sirens on his epic journey home after the Trojan War, whose tale is "The Odyssey".
The song of the Sirens was thought to attract sailors to water-filled tombs, so Odysseus ordered his men to plug their ears with wax.
The curious hero, however, wished to hear their voice. He therefore attacked against the mast of the boat so as not to wander in the sea under the sign of the threat.
The similarity of the wreckage with the famous pottery captured the attention and imagination of the observers – but experts say that the real sailors who sailed aboard the ship were not as venerated as Homer's heroes.
"The Greeks did not like sailors," said Kotsonas, adding, "There is a stereotype in Greek culture that agriculture is the source of all money while the sea has a corrupt effect on people.
"As a result, people who trade in the sea – sometimes even those who provide the capital for this trade – have been despised because of this stereotype."
The newly discovered sinking would likely have between 15 and 25 sailors, but no bodies were found again, either because they were buried under the sediments, or because the corpses decomposed over time , researchers said.
According to Kotsonas, it is safe to assume that the socio-economic status of seafarers was low and that they included a wide range of ethnic groups.
"It's like another world"
"The crews of an old boat could be as international as those of modern boats," he said.
"It is reasonable to assume that the Greek [was spoken aboard]but at the same time, these people were traders and they had to learn another language to facilitate their work. "
Even though the crew and the cargo remain a mystery, the boat itself is already questioning the assumptions about the old maritime practices, according to Greene.
Most merchant ships used sails, while warships were powered by men and oars.
The recently discovered wreckage however seems to use both.
"We tend not to think of these combined ships – whether they are merchant ships or rowed warships. So if it's a combination, it's kind of an interesting hybrid ship that would be unusual, "Greene said.
"It's an exciting discovery. It's tempting.
Unfortunately for history buffs, however, the ship could never see the light of day – the sunrise would be a herculean task that could compromise its structural integrity and load, experts said.
The Black Sea Maritime Archeology Project photographed and mapped the wreckage in 3D using a pair of remotely operated submarines.
Team members plan to publish their findings at a conference at the Wellcome Collection in London later this week.
With wire services
