A team of archeologists has discovered two ancient anchors and many other artifacts at the mouth of the Belbek River near Sevastopol in Crimea. According to the archeological team, these items date back to the Roman period and supposedly belong to an ancient sea vessel that sank off the coast of Sevastopol in second or third centuries AD.

“Two anchors, as well as lead plates and a cauldron dating back to the Roman period of Crimea’s history, were found at the mouth of the Belbek River,” Viktor Lebedinsky, a senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies, the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Russian news agency Tass.

According to Lebedinsky, the two anchors discovered are identical in size and shape. They were recovered from a depth of 6.5 meters, suggesting that they probably belonged to a wrecked ship. Archeologists believe many more items belonging to the shipwreck could be present at this site.

All the artifacts unearthed by the team have been sent to the Centre for Marine Research and Technology at the University of Sevastopol. Lebedinsky said these items could be displayed publicly following the completion of the research.

The city of Sevastopol is located near the site of the ancient Greek colony of Chersonesus (Cherson) that was established in 421 BC. This colony was founded by the settlers from Heraclea Pontica. Historians believe Chersonesus remained the most significant Greek colony in Crimea until 179 BC when it came under the rule of King Mithradates VI. In 1st century AD, this entire region became part of the Roman Empire, according to Encyclopedia. In the 4th century AD, the Byzantine rulers changed the name of Chersonesus to Korsun.

Russian divers report ancient ship find near Crimea http://t.co/Bc6dEWi134 pic.twitter.com/FSs0UBvMrI — Donna Yates (@DrDonnaYates) May 29, 2015

Archeologists have discovered a large number of ancient artifacts from Sevastopol region in the past one decade. In 2015, researchers found the wreck of a big Byzantine ship in the Black Sea, off the coast of Sevastopol. According to Greekreporter, this ship dated back to the 10th century and was filled with amphorae. The archeological team recovered hundreds of ancient items from this shipwreck, all in very condition.

Today, the Chersonesus Archaeological Museum in Sevastopol exhibits a large number of artifacts dating back to the ancient Greek colony of Chersonesus and the Byzantine colony that succeeded it during the fourth century AD. In 2013, the site of Chersonesus ruins was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.