Ukrainian soldiers uncover ancient amphorae while digging trenches


Officials believe the amphorae date to between the 3rd and 4th century, when Odessa was an ancient Roman settlement. Photo courtesy of the 126th Territorial Defense

May 17 (UPI) -- Ukrainian soldiers digging trenches in the city of Odessa in preparation for a Russian attack uncovered artifacts dating as far back as the 3rd century, the military announced.

Ukraine's 126th Brigade of Territorial Defense of Odessa unveiled the discovery May 11 in a Facebook post.

The archaeological find included multiple amphorae used to store liquid or dry goods. This style of amphora -- with a tall, bottle-necked shape -- was popular in ancient Roman, Greek and Byzantine settlements, ARTnews reported.

The items date to between the 3rd and 4th century at a time when Odessa was a Roman settlement known as Odessus, Heritage Daily reported.

Because of the dangerous nature of the war in Ukraine, archaeologists were unable to document the site of the finds. Instead, the brigade said it recovered the artifacts and handed them over to staff at the Odessa Archaeological Museum.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, UNESCO estimates some 127 archaeological or culturally significant sites have sustained damage, including religious buildings, museums, historic buildings, monuments and libraries.