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

Emergency repairs of the fence along the border with Turkey

By a decision from 6 June, the Council of Ministers has decreed emergency repairs of the fence along Bulgaria’s border with Turkey, BNR-Burgas reports. The urgent repair and renovation work on the border barrier is to be completed by 31 December,..

published on 6/7/24 5:25 PM

Election campaign for 9 June 2-in-1 elections ends

Today is the last day of campaigning for the 2-in-1 elections in Bulgaria - for national and European Parliament, which will take place on 9 June. Campaigns of political formations and campaigning for the candidates for MPs and MEPs end in 24 hours..

published on 6/7/24 3:59 PM
Education Minister Galin Tsokov

Bulgaria to promote itself as a destination for higher education, Education Minister says

Bulgaria is among the European countries with a high share of foreign students. Currently, foreign students make up about 8% of the student population in Bulgaria, placing the country among the leaders in the region. These figures were presented by..

published on 6/7/24 2:34 PM