In the first days of December, a geophysical survey in the waters off the town of Sozopol was completed. The survey is part of a comprehensive, regular underwater archaeological investigation in the area surrounding the island of Sts. Cyril and Julitta, conducted under a contract with the Ministry of Culture.
The work program of every underwater archaeological project conducted by the Centre for Underwater Archaeology (CUA) includes geophysical mapping of the surveyed maritime area. Marine geophysics is a specialized scientific field, particularly when applied in the context of underwater archaeology. The systematic investigation using remote geophysical methods aims to determine the precise location and reliable identification of targets of potential archaeological significance within the surveyed marine areas.
The implementation of geophysical surveys for the purposes of underwater archaeology includes:
– Multibeam echosounder scanning, which creates a detailed bathymetric map;
– Side-scan sonar, which provides images of objects on the seabed with archaeological potential;
– Sub-bottom profiler, which delivers data on the stratigraphy of the surface sediment layers, aiding in the selection of locations for future archaeological excavations.
In 2023, the Centre for Underwater Archaeology (CUA) acquired cutting-edge geophysical equipment, including:
SYSTEM 4900 – a next-generation side-scan sonar;
SeaBat T51-R – a high-precision hydrographic multibeam echosounder;
Sea View MOSAIC+SBP – a powerful specialized software platform for processing geophysical survey data.
These tools significantly enhance the Centre’s capacity for high-resolution underwater mapping and archaeological exploration. This industry-oriented software development enables ultra-high image resolution combined with exceptional functionality, significantly improving the accuracy and efficiency of underwater archaeological data processing. It also allows for the integration of multiple standard data formats—such as terrain models, GIS and vector data, and georeferenced raster images—into a unified 3D environment for comprehensive interpretation. This is undoubtedly a major advantage when the objectives involve archaeological projects requiring complex analysis and high-resolution detail.
The combination of the side-scan sonar SYSTEM 4900, the high-precision hydrographic multibeam echo sounder SeaBat T51-R, and the Sea View MOSAIC+SBP software yields impressive results.
The side-scan sonar and the hydrographic multibeam echo sounder system were purchased following a public procurement procedure announced by the Center for Underwater Archaeology and were funded by the Ministry of Culture.
The specialized software Sea View MOSAIC+SBP was purchased under the project “Maritime School for Underwater Archaeology”, funded by the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria through the “Program for Recovery and Development of State, Regional, and Municipal Cultural Institutes.”