2000-year-old warship found off Crimea’s coast

Divers exploring an old harbor near Phanagoria, an ancient Greek city on the Black Sea in Ukraine, discovered a wooden ship hull buried under more than five feet of sand, silt, and shells.

Initially, archaeologists thought the wreck was a later trading vessel. However, they found a one-meter-long bronze ram with a crescent moon and five-pointed star, symbols of Mithridates VI of Pontus, a rival of the Roman Republic, about 1.5 meters from the ship’s bow.

Radiocarbon dating placed the ship to the mid-first century BCE. Researchers now identify it as a fast military ship from Mithridates’ fleet and the oldest warship found in Russian waters. Laboratory analysis revealed careful construction and maintenance, with copper and bronze alloys used for nails. The team also found a crane feather inside the hull, suggesting the ship sank during a revolt in 63 BCE. The surviving fragments measure almost 16 meters long and 2.7 meters wide.

Researchers determined the vessel was a “unireme”, a fast, sail-and-oar ship with a single row of oars, after previously considering it a bireme. The ship’s location near the main city dock and the fact it wasn’t salvaged suggest a crisis occurred. Analysis of coatings showed the hull was covered in clay mixed with animal hair and feathers to provide fire resistance and prevent marine growth.

Repairs were made using wood from the Mediterranean, indicating Pontus had resources to maintain its fleet for decades.