Snake Island’s Archaeological Treasures

Zmiiny Island in the Black Sea came to the world’s attention on the first day of the full-scale invasion when a Ukrainian border guard, Roman Hrybov, told the Russian missile cruiser Moskva threatening to bomb the island to “f**k yourself.” (Not long after, the Moskva met the bottom of the sea, whereas Hrybov, who was taken prisoner, was subsequently freed.)

But the island, also known as Snake Island from its shape resembling a snake’s head, has been in the sights of explorers since ancient Greek times.

The whole world, due to the war in Ukraine, has become acquainted with a tiny island in the Black Sea, which was completely unknown until yesterday: Zmiiny Island, which means.

The ancient sailors of the late 7th century BC who sailed on the Black Sea trade routes could not ignore the island of Leucos. This was the first name of today’s Zmiiny Island. The island, which is located in the open sea in front of the Danube estuary, was mentioned by ancient authors such as Ovid, Ptolemy and Strabo. However, the island had many other names, including Achilles Island, White Island, Philoxia, Fidonisi and Ilan-Ada.

According to the Odyssey, Achilles had a dear friend and companion in war: Patroclus. After the death of both of them in the siege of Troy, the gods granted them immortality and transported them to the island of Leucos. Another myth suggests that the goddess Thetis created this island for her son Achilles.

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For over a thousand years, from the 7th century BC to the beginning of the 6th century AD, Zmiiny Island was a cult center with a temple dedicated to the Greek hero Achilles and was an important landing place for Greek colonies along the northern shores of the Pontus Euxinus (Hospitable Sea), as they called the Black Sea at the time. Ancient ships landed on Snake Island, where sailors visited the temple of Achilles Pontarchus, whom they considered the ruler and protector of the Black Sea, to worship and offer sacrifices to him. The number of sunken ships near the island attests to this. The tall white stone structure of the temple also served as a lighthouse for ships during the Greek colonization of the Northern Black Sea region.

The research group NAVAREX – Underwater Archaeological Expedition, in cooperation with the Odesa Mechnikov National University, has been exploring the depths of the Black Sea since 1988. The main goal of the non-profit organization is to develop underwater archaeology in Ukraine, conduct scientific expeditions at the national and international levels, study and preserve the discovered artefacts.

Evgeniy Sukachev, a lawyer from Odesa and partner of NAVAREX, explains that comprehensive research on the island and the development of scientific work will remain relevant for a long time. First, the island is a unique natural-geographical site, the only tectonic uplift in the Black Sea. Second, the natural environment that has formed provides favorable conditions for the development of unique flora and fauna complexes. Third, Zmiiny Island has a unique historical past.

In 1988, a scientific expedition was conducted, during which a marble slab, part of the temple of Achilles, was discovered and raised. From 1988 to 2010, a stable anchorage site of the island was found, existing from the 6th century BC until recently. In 2001-2004, the “amphorae slope” was discovered on the seabed, from which 176 ceramic objects dating back a millennium (6th century BC – 6th century AD) were recovered. The anchorage site and the amphora slope are tangible witnesses to the colonization and trade in ancient times in the waters of Snake Island.

Over the past 30 years, several underwater wrecks have been discovered and studied, including the wooden sailing ship Militina (mid-19th century), the wooden sailing ship Bristol (early 19th century), the cargo steamer Blair Athol (1879-1887), the cargo-passenger steamer Tsaritsa (1886-1916), the stern of the destroyer Lt. Zatsareny (1907-1917), the bow of the Russian destroyer Lt. Zatsareny (1907-1917), the Soviet submarine ShCh-212 (1936-1942), and a minesweeper (post-1950).

However, the most significant discovery was made in 2011, when the NAVAREX team discovered the remains of an ancient merchant ship, which was given the code name “Zmiiny-Patroclus.” It is likely that the Zmiiny-Patroclus, en route from the island of Peparithos in the Aegean Sea to one of the poleis of the northwestern Black Sea region (Tyre, Niconium or Olbia), was carrying amphorae filled with wine, olive oil and black glazed pottery, when it encountered a storm and sank near the island, between 350 and 325 BC.

The most interesting objects from this find are a marble statuette of the goddess Demeter, various types of amphorae and black glazed pottery, which were exhibited to the general public at the exhibition at the Odesa Archaeological Museum, opened in September 2024. However, much work remains to be done to study the discovered artefacts, examine the ship in situ and catalogue the found materials.

Zmiiny-Patroclus is today a cultural heritage site of the Odesa region, listed in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine as a site of local importance. NAVAREX members work to secure the site’s status as a monument of national importance of Ukraine and to draw more public attention to this scientific project.

In addition, NAVAREX intends to promote underwater archaeological activities, prepare scientific materials, and establish an international scientific center for underwater archaeological research in Odesa, which would strive to attract partnerships and funding from foreign institutions.