Researchers have identified what they describe as the world’s oldest shipwreck in waters off Kekova Island near Antalya, Turkey. The vessel has been dated to between 4,400 and 4,700 years ago, placing it during the Early Bronze Age period, contemporaneous with the construction of Egypt’s Great Pyramid. The archaeological team was led by Prof Hakan Öniz of Akdeniz University under the Mediterranean Archaeology Association.
The wooden structure of the approximately 10-meter trade vessel has not survived the millennia underwater, but its ceramic cargo has remained largely intact on the seafloor at a depth of roughly 30 meters. Archaeologists recovered three large stone anchors and more than 30 amphorae, or storage pots, with a distinctive design featuring two handles, a central ridge, and a flat base. Analysis of the pottery’s shape and decoration techniques, compared against known amphorae from Egypt and the Middle East, allowed researchers to establish the wreck’s age without relying on radiocarbon dating, which requires organic materials.
Some of the recovered amphorae contained surprisingly well-preserved residual material, prompting investigation into the vessel’s original cargo. Researchers are working to determine whether the containers held olive oil, wine, tree resins, or other commodities. The team believes the ship originated from the eastern Mediterranean coast and was likely transporting goods to either ancient Troy in northwestern Turkey or to the Minoan civilization in Crete. The discovery has displaced a previous record holder, a wreck off Dokos island in Greece dated to approximately 4,200 years ago.
The find contributes to understanding ancient Mediterranean trade networks and the maritime practices of Early Bronze Age societies. The waters around Kekova Island, characterized by strong currents and winds, have historically been treacherous for vessels, resulting in hundreds of documented shipwrecks in the region. The Turkish Ministry of Culture, which owns the wreck, plans to display the recovered artifacts at the new Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology Museum in Antalya when it opens in the coming months.
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