World’s oldest shipwreck discovered off Turkey’s Mediterranean coast

Archaeologists have unearthed what may be the world's oldest shipwreck off the coast of Turkey, dating back to the Early Bronze Age around 4,700 years ago. The underwater ruins were discovered near Kekova Island in southern Antalya province, approximately 30 meters below the Mediterranean Sea. While the wooden structure has long since vanished, researchers found over 30 ceramic storage containers, known as amphorae, and three stone anchors on the ocean floor. Some of the amphorae still retain remnants of their original contents.

Prof Hakan Öniz of Turkey's Akdeniz University, who led the expedition, described the shipwreck as a "time capsule" at the bottom of the sea. The vessel is estimated to have been about 10 meters long and traded goods between ancient Mediterranean trading centers. This discovery is particularly significant because it may be several centuries older than the previous oldest known shipwreck, found near the Greek island of Dokos in 1975, which dates back to around 2200 BC.

The exact age of the Turkish shipwreck cannot be determined using radiocarbon dating due to the absence of its wooden structure. Instead, scientists analyzed the shapes and decorative features of the amphorae and compared them to similar pottery discovered in Egypt and the Middle East. The distinctive characteristics of the containers, such as two handles, a ridge around the middle, and a flat base, suggest an Early Bronze Age origin.

The discovery offers valuable insights into the extensive trade networks that connected the eastern Mediterranean in ancient times. Turkey's Culture and Tourism Minister, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, noted that the clay used in the amphorae may have been produced in workshops in the Jordan Valley, with similar pottery found near the Egyptian pyramids and archaeological sites in Troy and Crete.

The ship likely sailed from a Levantine port destined for Troy or Crete before sinking near Kekova, transporting commodities such as olive oil or wine, though their original contents have not been conclusively identified.

One of the recovered amphorae, marked with nine symbols and featuring two holes, is currently under examination to determine if it was used for producing cheese or butter. The waters around Kekova have historically been treacherous for sailors due to strong winds and currents, and the ancient ship likely met its end on one of the Mediterranean's trading routes, leaving behind its cargo for millennia.

The latest underwater archaeological find in Turkey's Mediterranean coast could help researchers better understand the exchange of goods and the development of maritime trade networks thousands of years before modern navigation.