Abstract
In 2021–2022, Sevastopol State University, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Abkhaz State Museum conducted international underwater archaeological research in the waters of the Republic of Abkhazia. The work was carried out in four areas, covering a signifi cant part of Abkhazia coast from Gudauta to Ochamchira. The selection of optimal areas for scientific research was made based on an analysis of numerous archaeological materials in Abkhazian museums, as well as taking into account the morphological features of the bottom of the water area and accessibility for scuba divers. Depending on the conditions of off shore work and the assigned tasks, various equipment was used, such as a mobile sonar system (MSS), a profi ler, and a remote-controlled uninhabited underwater vehicle. As a result of the work carried out in the waters of Gudauta and New Athos, a large number of underwater targets were identifi ed, one of which, near New Athos, is a large sunken ship of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. In the Ochamchira area, the territory adjacent to the ancient city and the early Byzantine settlement of Gienos was surveyed on the west.
Keywords
Abkhazia, underwater archaeological research, side-scan sonar, profiler, shipwrecks.
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