The results of the underwater archaeological expedition of 2025 were announced in Khersoney Taurida

The archaeological field season of 2025 in the waters of Tauric Chersonesos was successfully carried out after a three-year break. IN 2022-2024 years, when it was not possible to carry out full-fledged diving work, employees of the department of underwater archeology were working on developing bottom electrical tomography techniques for studying the flooded areas of Tauride Chersonesus and monitoring the condition of monuments in the coastal zone of the settlement on its northern sea border.

In this field season, it was decided to focus on the coastal area of ​​the water area near the base of the underwater archeology department. Here in 2017-2019 years, an expedition of the museum-reserve recorded an extended shaft of stones at the bottom. It can be assumed that the underwater object is the submerged remains of a defensive wall or hydraulic structure.

The expedition included employees from the departments of underwater archeology and interdisciplinary research of the Chersonese Tauride Museum-Reserve. Research by the method of bottom electrical tomography was led by V.V., professor of the St. Petersburg Mining University of Empress Catherine II. Glazunov.

The goals of the work in 2025 were to record the remains of construction structures visible on the bottom of the water area and identify them under the layer of bottom soil, obtaining information for interpretation and dating. To achieve this goal, remote sensing studies were carried out and archaeological excavations were carried out. Hydroacoustics methods make it possible to obtain a mosaic of the bottom topography and identify the collapse of stone material, which are the remains of building structures. Electrical prospecting methods are capable of localizing probable areas of construction remains hidden in the ground. Archaeological work must confirm the data obtained as a result of geophysical research methods and provide material for dating and interpreting objects. Provings were carried out on the coastal side of the stone shaft, as well as on its southern end. From the sea side, excavations were carried out in 2019.

To visualize the underwater object and construct its plan, surveying was carried out using photogrammetry methods. The studied section of the shaft of stones has a length of about 23 m, a width of up to 10 m with a height difference of more than 2 m. To work on such a large object, in addition to everything overgrown with algae, which complicate further processing of photographs and the construction of an orthomosaic, 239 numbered markers were placed. Stretch walking cords and three-meter topographic slats were used. The shaft was divided into four sections, where surveying was carried out sequentially. The results were combined into a common orthomosaic and model.

Archaeological finds obtained as a result of excavation in the area of ​​the shaft mainly date back to medieval times. The finds are represented by numerous fragments of ceramics. Fragments of a marble architectural detail and a limestone drinking bowl were also found among the stones. For more accurate conclusions, large-scale excavations are required, which are planned for the next field season.