Emily Chan
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.
Throughout that year and the next, divers retrieved over 300 glass vessels from the seafloor of Chengene Skele Bay, located in the Black Sea.
According to the Regional Historical Museum Burgas (RHM Burgas), a more recent dive in 2024 yielded 112 more artifacts. The expedition was led by Ivan Hristov of RHM Burgas. Divers explored five different parts of the bay.
The glass artifacts were found at a depth of 6.5 to eight feet. Researchers believe the glass vessels were likely manufactured sometime in the late 16th century or early 17th century in a workshop on the Venetian island of Murano.
The process of making Murano glass was painstaking, intricate work that required great accuracy. Glass workers had to train for years to master the craft.
They also were considered to have a higher social status than other craftspeople due to their skill. Today, the island is still regarded as a producer of fine, high-quality glassware.
The glass vessels provide some insight into the “consumption, trade, and production of glass in the Balkans during the Late Ottoman Period,” which are topics that have been poorly researched in the past. They may have been used as fancy glassware or cups.
It is speculated that the glass vessels fell to the bottom of the bay after the ship that was carrying them went down in a storm. They expect to find the shipwreck in the surrounding area. Although no shipwreck has been discovered yet, there seems to be plenty of evidence that points to its existence nearby.
Archaeologists have come across iron fragments from anchor chains and pieces of ceramic vessels dating back to the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The research team also stumbled upon a variety of artifacts from different historical time periods.
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