Scientists uncover the secrets of a sunken ship near Kiten

An academic lecture on the underwater archaeological research of the sunken ship "Urdoviza" in the southern bay of Kiten will be presented at the Sea Casino Cultural Center in Burgas on July 15. With more than 90% of its wooden hull structure preserved, it is the best-preserved wooden sailing vessel found in the shallow waters of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.

The lecture will be given by the scientific supervisor of the research, Dr. Dragomir Garbov, and will begin at 5:30 p.m. local time. He will present the history of underwater archaeological research, the results of the fifth and most recent season of archaeological research in the southern bay of Kiten, as well as data about the ship’s construction, trading activities, and the final days of the vessel and its crew.

According to archaeologists, the vessel was built in the second quarter of the 19th century and sank shortly before the April Uprising. The research has made it possible to reconstruct the history of the ship and its crew, as well as to trace the characteristics of maritime activity along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast during the Ottoman period, based on the rich collection of well-preserved everyday objects recovered from the crew.

Internationally, "Urdoviza" is only the third systematically studied Black Sea ship from the Ottoman era, following "Kiten 1" and the shipwreck "Askelon Tower" in Israel. This makes it significant for global underwater archaeology, the organizers told BTA.

The "Urdoviza" research project is being carried out by the Institute for Underwater Heritage in Sozopol and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology in the United States. It brings together scientists and students from Bulgaria, the United States, Australia, Ukraine, Germany, Italy and Israel.

The lecture on 15 July is organised by the Regional Historical Museum Burgas, Burgas Municipality, the Burgas 2032 Foundation and the Sea Casino Cultural Centre. The event is being held in support of Burgas’ bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2032.

Edited by Vesela Krasteva

TRanslated by Kostadin Atanasov