A treasure trove of artifacts dating as far back as the Bronze Age was uncovered in Ukraine after the explosion of the Kakhovka dam emptied the reservoir in June.
At the bottom of what had once been one of the largest lakes in Europe, Ukrainian archeologists have found objects from across the region’s history, such as Nazi helmets from World War II, 17th-century Cossack cannon balls, and stone axes from up to 1,000 years ago.
One of the more fascinating finds was a 20-foot-long oak boat believed to be at least 500 years old near Khortytsia Island. It was adorned with enigmatic symbols.
@skynews An #ancient boat, estimated to be 500 years old, has been #discovered in the #Dnipro #River in Ukraine. ⛵ The #Khortytsia National Reserve said many historical objects that were in #flooded areas are under #threat due to a drop in water levels. 🔗 Tap the link in bio for more.
“There’s never been anything like this,” Yevhen Synytsia, historian and chair of the Ukrainian Association of Archaeologists, told The New York Times. “It’s crazy.”
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has seen a great loss of its cultural heritage, with its history museums allegedly looted and historical sites destroyed.
The surprising discovery of artifacts scattered across the dried-up reservoir comes at an apt time as Ukraine clings tightly to its identity.
As previously covered in The Dallas Express, the Soviet-era hydroelectric dam exploded in early June, causing major flooding along the Dnipro River near the city of Kherson.
Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for the attack, which, alongside creating an ecological disaster, cut the dam’s supply of power to Russian-controlled Crimea and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Yet with 4.8 trillion gallons of water surging downstream, items previously hidden for decades, if not longer, are now exposed.
The authorities have attempted to restrict access to the site from opportunists sifting through the litter to find antiquities to sell on the black market.
In the meantime, archeologists rush to collect what they can as sentinels of the region’s past.
“Pottery shard,” explained archeologist Anatolii Volkov as he bent down to pick up an object in the silt, according to the NYT. “Bronze Age. Three thousand years old. At least.”
Once findings like these are cleaned, sorted, and cataloged, they provide integral pieces of Ukraine’s rich history.
