On 19 January 2026, in two consecutive ceremonies, the documents for the official designation of the Centre for Underwater Archaeology (CUA) as a Category...
The Centre for Underwater Archaeology is a state institute under the Ministry of Culture. Established in 1978 in Sozopol, it is the oldest such centre in Eastern Europe. It operates its own research vessel and two boats, and is equipped with modern geophysical instruments.
Our team
CUA Projects
along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast dated between Vth and the beginning of the Ist millennium BC reveal highly developed coastal and maritime-oriented society
along the entire Bulgarian Black Sea coast are discovered ancient natural breakwaters exploited by seafarers for millennia - from the IVth - IIIrd millennium BC to the late Medieval
The discovered shipwrecks from the Ancient, Late Antiquity, Medieval and Ottoman periods are of an exceptionally high degree of preservation due to the anaerobic environment in the depths of the Black Sea
is in its initial phase of exploration by the CUA, and new and intriguing discoveries are forthcoming at the sites of Oryahovo, Dimum, etc.
are held annually and aim to expand the practical and theoretical knowledge and skills in underwater archaeology of participants from Bulgaria and abroad
Key projects undertaken by the Centre for Underwater Archaeology over the years in the field of underwater cultural heritage research and documentation.
Scientific Publications
Latest news
We are pleased to invite you to the second edition of “Widening the Big Blue Horizon”International Conference, which introduces Innovative Practices and Policy Pathways...
At its session on 10 November 2025, the 43rd General Conference of UNESCO (the Organization’s supreme governing body) formally approved the designation of the...












