A century ago, hundreds of glass objects were lost at sea off the coast of Burgas, Bulgaria. Underwater archaeologists first became aware of them in 2020.

During this year and the following year, divers recovered over 300 glass vessels from the seabed of Chengene Skele Bay in the Black Sea.

According to the Burgas Regional Historical Museum (RHM Burgas), another 112 artifacts were found during a more recent dive in 2024. The expedition was led by Ivan Hristov of the RHM Burgas. The divers explored five different parts of the bay.

The glass artifacts were found at a depth of 2.0 to 2.4 meters. Researchers believe that the glass vessels were probably made sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century in a workshop on the Venetian island of Murano.

The process of making Murano glass was laborious, complicated work that required great precision. Glassworkers had to train for years to master the craft.

Because of their skills, they also had a higher social status than other craftsmen. Even today, the island is considered a producer of fine, high-quality glassware.

The glass vessels provide insight into the “consumption, trade and production of glass in the Balkans during the late Ottoman period,” topics that have been poorly researched in the past. They could have been used as decorative glassware or cups.

It is believed that the glass jars fell to the bottom of the bay after the ship carrying them sank in a storm. It is expected that the shipwreck will be found in the area. Although no shipwreck has been discovered yet, there seems to be plenty of evidence to suggest that one exists nearby.

The archaeologists found iron fragments of anchor chains and pieces of ceramic vessels from the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. In addition, the research team found a variety of artifacts from different historical periods.

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