The discovery of the ancient amphorae was made during the excavation of a trench to protect Odessa, Ukraine's third largest city which is an important seaport and transport hub for the south of the country.

The amphorae date from the 3rd to 4th century AD, a period when Odessa was a Roman settlement called Odessus which grew out of a Greek colony. However, due to the continuous aggression of Russian invaders in Ukraine, archaeologists are unable to record the site.

The amphorae, as well as other pieces of pottery found, were carefully collected by soldiers of the 126th Territorial Defense and sent to the Odessa Archaeological Museum for preservation.

Ancient Amphorae were used for storage

Amphorae are containers used in ancient times to transport and store liquids and solids. They are related to the Roman, Byzantine and Ancient Greek periods, indicating that amphorae may have been in use as early as the Neolithic period.

They have the shape of vases, and were widely used to store wines, water, oil, honey, among other items. In its time, it was considered a very versatile and practical object, since it allowed it to be carried by two people.

Ukrainian monuments could disappear with the war

The ancient amphorae are just one of many Ukrainian artifacts and monuments that are in danger. Since the war started, there is an imminent risk of Ukraine losing many historical objects that are located in cities that have the attention of the Russians.

In February of this year, for example, shortly after the war began, the Ivankiv Museum, situated in the metropolitan area of the capital of Kiev, was set on fire after a Russian offensive. This caused some 25 works by the artist Maria Primachenko, who enchanted the Spaniard Pablo Picasso, to be destroyed.

After this event, the Ukrainian Embassy in the Holy See at the Vatican obtained information that the Russians were considering attacking the 11th century St. Sophia Cathedral. In view of the information, the Ukrainian Government appealed to Russia not to destroy the cathedral.

Besides these, there are several other Ukrainian monuments that are very valuable to the country's culture. Among them is the historical centre of Lviv and the Residence of the Metropolitans of Bukovina and Dalmatia, a place that housed Orthodox bishops in the late 19th century, when the region was under the control of the Habsburg monarchy.

Faced with such information, Ukrainian soldiers fight not only for the survival of the population, but of their history as well. "We are not Russians, we preserve our history" was what journalist Yana Suporovska from Kiev reported after Ukrainian soldiers took the ancient amphorae to the museum.