2,400-year-old vessel found perfectly preserved at the bottom of the Black Sea thought to be world’s oldest shipwreck

A 2,400-year-old vessel has been found perfectly intact at the bottom of the Black Sea.

If you were to find the world's oldest anything, finding it in one piece would be an absolute bonus.

But luck would have it for a team of researchers.

Dating back to 400 BC, the 75-foot Greek-trading vessel was found off the Bulgarian coast by archaeologists from the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project (Black Sea MAP).

The discovery was made during a three-year survey of the seabed, where researchers were studying how prehistoric sea levels changed over time.

They used advanced mapping technology to identify 65 shipwrecks across more than 2,000 square kilometres of seabed.

One of the researchers on the project, Helen Farr, said: "It’s like another world.

Expedition and Education Foundation/Black Sea MAP

"It’s when the ROV [remotely operated vehicle] drops down through the water column and you see this ship appear in the light at the bottom so perfectly preserved it feels like you step back in time."

Despite spending thousands of years more than a mile below the surface, the ship retains its rudder, rowing benches and even the contents of its hold (which remain unknown for now).

But how is this possible?

Well, the secret to this ship’s remarkable preservation lies in the Black Sea’s oxygen levels.

If you've ever been scuba diving, you know that oxygen decreases the deeper you go. Below a certain depth, the lack of oxygen prevents wood and other organic materials from decaying.

"A ship surviving intact from the classical world, lying in over 2km of water, is something that I would have never believed possible," added Professor Jon Adams, the principal investigator with the project. "This will change our understanding of shipbuilding and seafaring in the ancient world."

Marcoriveroph / Getty

The team isn’t planning to move the ship, as it’s safe where it is and unlikely to 'deteriorate or attract treasure hunters.'

"It's preserved, it's safe," Farr stated.

Interestingly, after taking a small sample for carbon dating, tests conducted by the University of Southampton 'confirmed [it] as the oldest intact shipwreck known to mankind.'

This discovery is part of a larger mission where over 60 shipwrecks have been identified, including a '17th century Cossack raiding fleet, through Roman trading vessels, complete with amphorae, to a complete ship from the classical period.'

The team said more funding would be needed if they were to return to the site for further research.

"As archaeologists, we're interested in what it can tell us about technology, trade and movements in the area," Farr concluded.