A Greek merchant ship dating back more than 2,400 years has been found lying on its side off the Bulgarian coast. The 23m (75ft) wreck, found in the Black Sea by an Anglo-Bulgarian team, is being hailed as officially the world's oldest known intact shipwreck.

A sunken trading ship believed to be from ancient Greece has been found in remarkable condition at the bottom of the Black Sea, The Guardian reports. Archaeologists say the vessel is more than 2400 years old, making it the world’s oldest intact shipwreck on record.

The 4,200-year-old shipwreck off the tiny island of Dokos near Greece ’s Hydra is believed to be the oldest shipwreck ever discovered. The wreck, located about 15 to 30 meters (50–100 ft) underwater, is dated to the Early Helladic period (2700-2200 BC) and consists mainly of a large collection of ceramic items that were likely cargo on the ship.

In October, a remotely operated submersible discovered the wreck of a Greek trading vessel at the bottom of the Black Sea. Dated to 400 BC, the shipwreck is the world’s oldest known intact Greek vessel. Ancient shipwrecks are often fields of non-organic artifacts such as these amphorae leftover from a 4th century BC shipwreck near Cyprus.