In 2020, the first ever scientific underwater excavation ever undertaken in the Black Sea was started. Now, the results of that expedition are coming to light, revealing millennia-old artifacts and an ancient harbor town that survived for 1,500 years.
Kerpe is a small bay on the western coast of the Black Sea, around 100km (60 miles) as the crow flies from the great city of Istanbul. The Hellenic word for the bay was “Kalpe” which translates to “pot” or “jug” and hints at the importance of the bay in ancient times.
Finds on the sea bed showcase the harbor’s past as a key waypoint along Black Sea trade routes (IHA / Anatolian Archaeology)
Kerpe was a commercial center through the Roman, Byzantine and Genoese periods, a stopping point and safe harbor for ships travelling along the Black Sea coastline. And now, the finds from this ancient settlement are being revealed in a new exhibition, reports Anatolian Archaeology.
An Ancient Town Beneath the Waves
Kerpe harbor was also a key port in the supply of timber and fuel to Istanbul during the Ottoman period, delivering logs, coal and construction materials to the city. However the harbor had been an important waypoint for long before the time of the Ottomans, before it eventually sunk under the waves.
Artifacts recovered from the sunken settlement have been dated up to 2,400 years old. These include amphorae, the containers popularly used for transport in ancient times, as well as other finds which would be expected from a trading…
