Apollonia Pontica (Sozopol) – Submerged Necropolis & Anchorage
Ἀπολλωνία Ποντική · Apollonia Magna · Antheia · Sozopolis
Archaic to Late Antiquity (610 BCE – 6th c. CE)·Milesian Greek / Thracian / Roman / Byzantine·🇧🇬 Burgas Province, Black Sea coast, Burgas Bay, Bulgaria
About
About Apollonia Pontica (Sozopol) – Submerged Necropolis & Anchorage
Milesian colony 610 BCE on Sts. Kirik and Yulita islands and Skamni Peninsula, famed for 13 m Calamis bronze Apollo (later Capitoline). Necropolis on Harmanite and Budjaka peninsulas; anchorage and western breakwater foundations now –2 to –6 m after Black Sea rise (~1.5 mm/yr) and coastal erosion. Directly tied to legend of sunken island Cyanida/Kianida charted by Ptolemy halfway to Bosporus, recently re-evaluated by geomorphology as real Holocene island now submerged off Burgas. UNESCO coastal heritage zone; Franco-Bulgarian mission ongoing.
Why it mattersOldest Greek colony on western Black Sea; Kianida shoal is rare verified Ptolemaic phantom island turned real Holocene islet; anchor assemblage type-site.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Precise former outline of Kianida island (approx. 2×1 km until Middle Ages?)
- 02Colossal Apollo workshop debris location
Theories
- 01Black Sea Holocene transgression model explains stepwise harbour submergence and island drowning by c. 1200 CE (Archaeology in Bulgaria 2018)
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 610 BCE by Milesians (Antheia predecessor 610?)
- Period
- Archaic to Late Antiquity (610 BCE – 6th c. CE)
- Culture
- Milesian Greek / Thracian / Roman / Byzantine
- Purpose
- Apoikia trading post, sanctuary of Apollo Ietros, anchorage and metals export
- Abandoned
- 6th c. CE Slavic migrations; Sozopolis continued intermittently
- Rediscovered
- 1827 antiquarian visits; systematic 1948– Dimitar Nedev, French mission Baralis 2000s
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
610 BCE
Milesian foundation on island of St Kyrik
5th c. BCE
Calamis colossal Apollo erected (13 m bronze)
72 BCE
Lucullus sacks Apollonia, removes Apollo to Rome
2011
Apollo Ietros temple foundations found on St Kirik
2018
Geomorphology paper re-identifies Kianida island shoal 15 km SE via Ptolemy maps
On the ground
Structures & features
42.4180° N · 27.6980° E · -2 m · 4 mapped features
Submerged Western Mole / Anchorage
harbourPier rubble and stone anchors at –2 to –6 m off Skamni
42.4170° N · 27.6950° EKianida / Cyanida Shoal (phantom island)
submerged islandSunken Holocene island 15 km SE mapped from Ptolemy and bathymetry (~13 m depth)
42.3600° N · 27.8500° EHarmanite Necropolis
necropolisClassical–Hellenistic tombs with painted lekythoi on mainland peninsula
42.4150° N · 27.7020° ESt Kirik Island Temple of Apollo Ietros
templeTemple podium under Naval Academy
42.4240° N · 27.6900° E