Marine archaeologists using high-definition sonar and autonomous underwater vehicles have mapped a massive maritime hub off the Bulgarian coast. The site, located thirty meters below the surface, includes several stone jetties and a cargo hold containing hundreds of 'oxhide' copper ingots, which were a standard form of currency during the Bronze Age.
Researchers believe this submerged settlement served as a critical exchange point between the Hittite Empire and early European inland trade routes. The sheer volume of metal recovered indicates that the Black Sea was a far more active corridor for Mediterranean trade during the second millennium BCE than was formerly documented.