In the Crimea, examined the wreck of the XII century Bashny.Net

The ship, entitled "foros Byzantine", is well preserved due to the fact that lies at a great depth.

Archaeologists examined the shipwreck of the XII century is 16 km away from foros (Crimea). The results of the inspection of the vessel at the conference "Bosporan readings" said the Director of the black sea undersea research centre (Simferopol) Sergey Voronov and head of the Department of underwater archaeology centre, candidate of historical Sciences Victor Wheeew.

Remains of wooden sailing-rowing ship was discovered at a depth of 128 meters. The length of the vessel, entitled "foros Byzantine", could reach 40 meters (residues recorded for 32 meters).

Well-preserved fragments of the ship set – frames, beams, stringers, gunwale, fragments of the deck plating, the part of the stem, nine cheerful, Rei, and probably two masts. In the area of the forecastle was a vertical metal bar with three holes, perhaps it's a flagpole or a shank of an anchor.





photo by A. Bykov

Items that are similar to oars in the rowlocks identified to starboard. Along the left side is the mast. In addition, archaeologists revealed two clusters (about 20 pieces) Trebizond pear-shaped amphorae with curved handles.

"Foros Byzantine" was pre-dated by amphora – found by archaeologists vessels used in the XII-XIII centuries. In addition, were obtained radiocarbon date. On the surface of the raised fragment of wood, possibly part of the mast of the ship. The analysis, which was conducted by the Kiev radiocarbon laboratory of the Institute of environmental Geochemistry, was the period between 1020 and 1190 years. Thus, the most probable Dating of the vessel – XII century.

The causes of the shipwreck are not yet clear. Archaeologists plan to continue research the ship.

The ship was discovered in a 2008 expedition, which was conducted jointly with the Institute for archaeological Oceanography University of Rhode island (USA) and Oceanographic Institute, woods Hall (USA). In 2009, foros Byzantine" was examined via remote-controlled submarine device "Sophocles 1". In 2010, research was conducted with the participation of technoriver. Divers for the first time in domestic practice had worked at this depth (128 meters).

"Foros Byzantine" well preserved because of special natural conditions. At great depths in the Black sea the hydrogen sulphide layer there is an environment completely devoid of oxygen. Because of this, the water perfectly preserved organic remains, including wood.

The ancient city of Crimea transferred to the zone of influence of the Eastern Roman Empire, after its separation from the Western (395). Throughout the early middle ages in South-Western Crimea and, above all, Kherson (the name at that time was the ancient Chersonesus), was an Outpost of the Byzantine Empire in Taurica. Under Byzantine rule for some time was East Crimea (Bosporos). Byzantine rule in the Crimea was undermined by the Fourth crusade (1202-1204.), but in the second half of the XIII century it was restored, albeit briefly. Already in the middle of the XIV century, Chersonesos, apparently, was controlled by the Genoese.

Materials: Voronov S. A., Vakhonev V. V. foros Byzantine": the main results of the research of the shipwreck of the XII century // the Cimmerian Bosporus and barbarian world in the period of antiquity and middle ages. Actual problems of chronology. Abstracts of the XV international conference of the Bosporan reading. – Simferopol, Kerch, 2014. P. 93-96.



Source: nkj.ru