Bulgarian charity fund 13 Centuries of Bulgaria won the international project for exploration, protection and presentation of Thracian underwater inheritance.

The project will be implemented in co-operation with the Bulgarian Institute of Thracology, the centre for underwater archaeology and the International Centre for Maritime Archaeology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Focus news agency reported.

The project aims at exploring Bulgarian cultural inheritance under water through scientific research, publications and educational programmes.

Cultural and historic riches, including sunken pre-historic settlements, boats and ships add scientific value to the project. Due to the specific underwater conditions the artifacts are in good state.

So far the largest scientific achievements in the sphere of thracology have been made on land.

The Norwegian centre will provide equipment and know-how in the sphere of underwater archaeology for the project.

The project is worth 210 000 leva and it will last two years. Scientists will make a map of the underwater cultural inheritance and will produce a film and an internet site.

Future plans include organisation of diving at the ports of Sozopol and ancient Messembria and Apolonia Pontika.