Porto-Franco City

In Odessa, near the Duke monument on Primorsky Boulevard, archaeological excavations have resumed. The work is being conducted by students from the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after Ushinsky and staff from the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

According to a correspondent from Ukrinform, the rector of the university, Andriy Krasnozhon, stated that in 2021, ground-penetrating radar studies revealed an anomaly that was unrelated to modern communications. Follow-up studies conducted in spring 2025 confirmed this finding.

“Now we know exactly what lies beneath the Duke. Underneath are cultural layers dating back 2500 years. These are the remnants of the ancient Greek colony of Histrian Harbor, founded in the 6th century BC and lasting for around 300-400 years. We know that the layers found here at the foot of the Duke belong to the 5th century BC, as evidenced by the discovered amphora fragments,” Krasnozhon explained.

During the excavation, expedition members uncovered several storage pits and many distinctive fragments of plaster, indicating the presence of residential buildings during the ancient Greek period.

Previously, no excavations had been conducted in this semi-circular area.

“We found that the ancient Greeks lived near the Vorontsov Palace. In the northern part of Primorsky Boulevard, we did not find any Greek layers; however, they suddenly appear powerfully near the Duke monument. Most likely, there was a ravine here that served as a natural barrier for the Greek settlement, which occupied the southern part of Primorsky Boulevard up to the Pushkin monument,” Krasnozhon added.

Archaeologists also discovered a unique fragment of red-glazed pottery from the Roman period. Krasnozhon emphasized that this is the first time such a finding has been made in decades of research on the “Primorsky Boulevard” site.

“It was previously believed that in antiquity there was a Greek settlement at the site of Odessa dating from the 5th-3rd centuries BC. Now we are documenting the first signs of possible human presence during the Roman Empire,” the historian said.

Researchers were also surprised to find a large quantity of material from the 14th century in the excavation, including a distinctive fragment of a bowl with geometric patterns.

“This indicates that there was a trading post or factory here. Imported goods in the steppe could only arrive by sea. This was likely the Italian factory of Ginestre. This finding also confirms that we should not question how many years Odessa has existed. Another turn of the shovel provides new dating,” Krasnozhon stated.

The excavation also revealed remains of a civil structure made from heavy stone blocks.

“We know that a stone fortress called Khadjibey stood somewhere around here. I can confidently say that these blocks were moved during the dismantling of the fortress. The stones weigh between 40-60 kg and have dressed edges. One resembles an upside-down column top. This is material used for building fortifications. During this laying, we also discovered red-glazed pottery. There is much debate about where the fortress was located and who built it. In the context of these moved stones and the fragment of 14th-century pottery, this is a certain hint,” Krasnozhon said.

In a week, the team plans to start a new excavation on Primorsky Boulevard.