The world's oldest intact shipwreck has been discovered in the Black Sea, around 50 miles off the coast of Bulgaria, it was announced on Tuesday.
Archaeologists working with the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project (MAP) found the 23-metre vessel two kilometres below the surface, where it is thought to have been situated for more than 2,400 years.
The lack of oxygen at this depth is thought to have kept the wreck in such pristine condition.
The ship was so well preserved that scientists found its mast, rudders, and even coils of rope left intact.
"A ship surviving intact from the classical world, lying in over 2 km of water, is something I would never have believed possible," Professor Jon Adams, the principal investigator of the team that found the wreck, said in a statement sent to Business Insider.
"This will change our understanding of shipbuilding and seafaring in the ancient world."
The merchant vessel is thought to confirm the accuracy of the Siren Painter, an ancient Greek artist who depicted scenes from antiquity such as Homer's Odyssey on vases.
"Nobody has ever known how accurate the representation on the Siren Vase was and whether the artist was making it up or drawing what he saw," Adams said, according to The Times.
"Now we see archaeological evidence showing a ship very close in detail, even down to the shape of the rudder blade. The artist must have been familiar with ships."
In the statement, the team said that a small piece of the ship was carbon dated by the University of Southampton, which confirmed it to be the oldest intact shipwreck known to mankind.
The discovery was part of a three-year project to map the Black Sea bed using highly advanced technologies, including remotely operated underwater vehicles.
The project has turned up over 60 shipwrecks, including the world's oldest, as well as a Bronze Age settlement, Sky News reports. Funded by the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, it has reportedly cost around £15 million ($19.5 million).
A two-hour documentary has been made about the project, which will debut at the British Museum as of Tuesday.
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