Wooden Roman ship found at Black Sea bottom off Crimean coast

A well-preserved ancient wooden ship, presumably dating back to the Roman period, has been found off the coast near Crimea’s Balaklava, Roman Dunayev, who leads the Neptune underwater expeditions, said.

"We have found an ancient wooden sailing ship with a well-preserved anchor. The anchor suggests that the ship can be preliminarily dated to the Roman period. If it turns true, it is a unique find as it is the first Roman vessel found in Crimea in such an excellent condition," TASS cited him as saying.

The ship, in his words, was discovered at a depth of 90 meters at the bottom of the Black Sea near Balaklava. "The ship has retained its shape due to the unusual conditions at great depths in the Back Sea, with almost no light or oxygen," Dunayev said.

The site is now being surveyed by archeologists to find out when the ship sank.