In brief
A vast underwater excavation off Turkey’s Kekova Island has revealed the world’s oldest shipwreck, dating back almost five thousand years to the Early Bronze Age. The sunken vessel, about ten metres long, was carrying ceramic amphorae that, remarkably, still contain residue from their original contents. With no wooden remains, experts dated the find by analysing pottery styles, linking them to contemporaneous artefacts from Egypt and the Middle East. The cargo offers fresh insight into ancient Mediterranean trade routes, possibly to Troy or Minoan Crete. The recovered amphorae are being conserved and will soon be displayed in Antalya’s new underwater archaeology museum.
A vast underwater excavation off the coast of Turkey’s Kekova Island has revealed what scientists now consider the world’s oldest known shipwreck, dating back between 4,400 and 4,700 years to the Early Bronze Age.
The wreck, about ten metres long, lies 30 metres beneath the waves and was carrying a cargo of more than thirty ceramic amphorae. Remarkably, many of those amphorae still contain traces of the viscous, glossy residue of what they once held—a potential record of ancient trade goods such as olive oil, wine, or tree resins.
Because the wooden structure of the ship has not survived, researchers dated the wreck by analysing the shape and decoration of the amphorae. The distinctive two‑handled, ridged style matches pottery from Egypt and the Middle East that is firmly dated to the same period, confirming the vessel’s Early Bronze Age provenance.
The crew that sailed the ship is believed to have been trading along the eastern Mediterranean, possibly making stops at the ancient city of Troy or the Minoan centres on Crete. With its cargo and location, the discovery offers new clues to the patterns and dangers of maritime commerce in the ancient world.
The wreck was recovered by the Mediterranean Archaeology Association, and the artefacts are now being carefully conserved after thousands of years underwater. The Turkish Ministry of Culture plans to display them in Antalya’s new Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology Museum. The find tops the current record for the oldest known shipwrecks, surpassing a 4,200‑year‑old wreck off Greece and a 2,400‑year‑old intact wooden ship off the coast of Bulgaria.
