hence their uneven quality.In 1964 and 1965 the Institute of Archaeology of the Soviet Academy of Sciences organized three expeditions which carried out research on the seabed in the Black Sea near Donuzlav and ancient Eupatoriar'l. Work was carried out in the open sea at a depth of 4-5 m at distances of 1 6 1 8 0 m offshore. An area of over 7000 m2 was searched. In addition, 41 areas were excavated to a depth of 2-4 m from the surface of the seabed; over 5000 m3 of the seabed was excavated.As a result the remains of a wreck were found scattered over an area approximately 140 x 90m (Fig. 1). A small portion of the cargo was raised, and also very modest remains of the ancient ship (Fig. 2). Of its timbers all that survived was a curved fragment of a frame (dimensions 0.34 x 0.06,0*05 x 0-05 m) and a few pieces of the side planking. Of its metal parts there survived some bronze nails (Fig. 3) and some fragments of the sheet lead sheathing of the hull (Fig. 4); the sheets were approximately 0.001 m thick. Nine such sheets were found, all crumpled and with jagged outlines; the largest measured 0.6 x 0.5m. Many of the sheets had been pierced by nails, the impressions of their heads (up to 0.016 m in diameter) surviving on the sheathing. The nail holes were 0.045-0.075 m apart; some of the holes were placed in rows. The longest nail found measured 0-285 m.Shapeless lumps of concretion were also found, within which were remains of wooden or metal objects. Dissection of one revealed the axe of the ship's carpenter (Fig. 5A).