Editing Sea of Azov (section)

===Prehistory===
{{Main|Black Sea deluge theory}}
There are traces of [[Neolithic]] settlement in the area now covered by the sea.

In 1997, William Ryan and [[Walter Pitman (geologist)|Walter Pitman]] of [[Columbia University]] published a theory that a massive flood through the [[Bosporus]] occurred in ancient times. They claim that the Black and [[Caspian Sea]]s were vast freshwater lakes, but in about {{nowrap|5600 BC}} the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] spilled over a rocky [[sill (geology)|sill]] at the Bosporus, creating the current link between the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Subsequent work has been done both to support and to discredit this theory, and archaeologists still debate it. This has led some to associate this catastrophe with prehistoric [[Deluge (mythology)|flood myths]].<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/S0025-3227(97)00007-8 |url=http://www.geoecomar.ro/website/publicatii/Nr.2-1997/10.WilliamBFRyan.pdf |title=An abrupt drowning of the Black Sea shelf |year=1997 |last1=Ryan |first1=W |journal=Marine Geology |volume=138 |issue=1–2 |page=119|bibcode=1997MGeol.138..119R |citeseerx=10.1.1.598.2866 |s2cid=129316719 |issn = 0025-3227}}</ref>
[[File:Greek colonies of the Northern Euxine Sea (Black Sea).svg|thumb|[[Colonies in antiquity|Ancient Greek colonies]] in the north Black Sea, 8th to 3rd century BC, along with their modern names]]