Underwater Archaeology in the Black Sea

Founded at the end of the Bronze Age by a Thracian tribe, Nessebar was one of the oldest towns on the western Black Sea Coast. Its name, originally Mesambria, originates from the Thracian words “Melsas”, the name of the legendary founder of the settlement and “bria”- the Thracian word for town. It is situated on a small peninsula (currently about 0.5 sq. km) that was connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. Mesambria’s first Greek colonizers were of Dorian origin who settled there at the end of the 6th century BCE.

The field school provides a comprehensive introduction to and training in underwater archaeology through participation in ongoing research project - discovering the submerged heritage of ancient Mesambria. The training will include various underwater archaeology and interdisciplinary practices as: underwater reconnaissance survey, archaeological excavations, underwater photography, photogrammetry and 3D modeling, mapping and recording of submerged archaeological structures and monuments, marine geophysical survey, creating a GIS database, conservation of underwater sites and artifacts, etc. Our research aims to fill in the gaps in our scientific knowledge about the fortification system of Mesambria and its harbors, the coastal landscape changes and the Black Sea level fluctuation in Antiquity and Medieval Ages as well as the human adaptation.

Lectures in Underwater Archaeological Heritage of the western Black Sea Coast, Underwater Photogrammetry and Photography, Underwater Geophysics and Remote Sensing
Guided visits of Nessebar, Sozopol, Varna, Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Kiten and Museum of the Anchor in Ahtopol
Beautiful Black Sea location

English