2,300-year-old water tank found at Apollonia Pontica

A total of three water tanks, the oldest of which dates back to the 3rd century BC, from the Ancient Greek colony of Apollonia Pontica have been discovered during excavations of an ancient residence in the Old Town of the Bulgarian Black Sea resort of Sozopol.

A water tank from the 3rd century BC has been found in a rich ancient residence
 from the Greek colony Apollonia Pontica in today�s Bulgarian Black Sea resort 
of Sozopol [Credit: 24 Chasa Daily]

The oldest water well in question was made with white limestone masonry, and has been reached at a depth of 4 meters. The archaeologists excavating the site believe the residence was the richest home in the Ancient Greek colony.

�We can safely say that we have come across the most impressive building in ancient Apollonia known to date. We have excavated about 250 square meters of it so far but we are still uncertain about its overall size,� says Dimitar Nedev, Director of the Sozopol Museum of Archaeology, as cited by a local new source.

In his words, the ancient inhabitants of Apollonia Pontica collected water using the principle of artesian wells, i.e. by placing water tanks on different levels which filled up like interconnected vessels.

The excavated residence in Sozopol�s Old Town was possibly the richest home
 in Apollonia Pontica; it was first built in the 5th century BC 
[Credit: 24 Chasa Daily]

Nedev says the current archaeological excavations in Sozopol�s Old Town, which are lead by archaeologist Teodora Bogdanova, are shedding light on the way of life in the Antiquity period.

The archaeologists� latest research confirms that the Old Town of Sozopol has rather sustainable urban planning, with modern-day streets often corresponding to streets from the Antiquity period.

For example, the �St. Cyril and St. Methodius� Street where the currently excavated ancient residence is located used to be an ancient street where the homes preserved their places for hundreds of years.

The excavated residence first existed at the end of the 5th and during the 4th century BC. It is especially interesting because it had murals as well as rather spacious rooms with an area of more than 20 square meters. These features are taken to suggest that it was the home of a high-ranking resident of Apollonia Pontica.

The archaeologists have also found evidence that there was a home in the same place as recently as the 17th-18th century AD.

Source: Archaeology in Bulgaria [August 22, 2015]