This is what the cemetery of 60 ancient ships at the bottom of the Black Sea looks like (10 photos)

At the bottom of the Black Sea, 60 perfectly preserved sunken ships up to 2,500 years old were found, including galleys of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Scientists stumbled upon a cemetery off the coast of Bulgaria while exploring the effects of climate change using underwater robots.

Since there is almost no light or oxygen at the bottom of the Black Sea, this means that shipwrecks are in excellent condition.

The researchers say their discovery is “truly unsurpassed.” Many of the ships have features known only from drawings or written descriptions, but never before seen by modern people.

The wood carvings of some ships have remained untouched for centuries, and a well-preserved rope has even been discovered on board a 2,000-year-old Roman ship.

An international team of scientists, led by the Center for Maritime Archeology at the University of Southampton, is working on the Black Sea maritime archaeological project.

“Until now, some of the ships we discovered had only been seen in murals and mosaics,” says Ed Parker, the project’s general director.

“There is one medieval merchant ship that still has towers at the bow and stern. It's like looking at a ship in a movie, with ropes on the deck and wood carvings."

“When I saw this ship, the excitement really started to build—what we found was truly second to none.”

Most of the discovered vessels are around 1,300 years old, but the oldest date back to the 4th century BC.

However, scientists keep many details and the location of the sunken ships secret so that looters do not get to them.