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

ANTALYA, Turkey — Archaeologists have discovered the remains of what is believed to be the world’s oldest known shipwreck off Kekova Island near Antalya, dating the Early Bronze Age vessel to between 4,400 and 4,700 years ago.
The wreck lies about 30 metres, or roughly 100 feet, below the Mediterranean surface. Although the ship’s wooden structure has not survived, researchers found more than 30 ceramic storage jars known as amphorae and three large stone anchors scattered across the seabed.
Experts believe the vessel was a roughly 10-metre-long merchant ship that sailed westward from the eastern Mediterranean, possibly towards Troy or Crete. Residues inside some intact jars suggest the cargo may have included olive oil, wine or tree resins, while clay analysis indicates the amphorae were likely produced in workshops in the Jordan Valley.
Professor Hakan Öniz of Akdeniz University, who led the Mediterranean Archaeology Association expedition, said the discovery provides direct evidence of maritime trade between the Levant and other parts of the Mediterranean. He described the site as a “time capsule” on the seabed.
Researchers dated the wreck by comparing the design and decoration of the amphorae with similar pottery found in Egypt and the Middle East. The find surpasses the previously oldest known shipwreck, discovered near Greece’s Dokos island and dated to about 4,200 years ago.
Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the discovery would shed new light on Anatolia’s maritime history and early trade connections across the eastern Mediterranean.