Unearthed off Turkey’s Coast: A 2,100-Year-Old Shipwreck Holds Lavish Treasures That Revealed Secrets of Ancient Roman Elite Dining
So picture this: marine archaeologists diving off the Turkish coast stumble upon an ancient cargo shipwreck packed to the gills with thousands of pieces of tableware—122 different varieties, mind you—headed to Rome some 2,100 years ago. I mean, talk about a vintage Pottery Barn order gone sideways! These ceramics weren’t just tossed in the hold either; they were carefully nestled in wooden crates with protective layers of clay, which is why they survived in shockingly good shape. Turns out, the ship was carrying elite tableware from the ancient port city of Rhosus—which even Cicero himself name-dropped in a letter nearly two millennia ago. Who knew ancient Romans cared so much about their plates? This remarkable find isn’t just about pretty dishes—it’s a fascinating snapshot of ancient maritime trade and production savvy that could’ve given modern logistics a run for its money. Curious to dive deeper into this underwater treasure trove and the story behind these exquisite ceramics?
Marine archaeologists diving off the Turkish coast near Adrasan recently uncovered the remains of an ancient cargo ship bound for Rome and loaded with thousands of pieces of tableware in 122 different varieties.
Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismThankfully for researchers, these pieces were preserved in shockingly good condition, as they’d been carefully packed into wooden crates and separated with layers of clay for protection.
Archaeologists excavating a shipwreck off the Mediterranean coast of Turkey found thousands of pieces of tableware that the vessel had been carrying — ceramic plates, bowls, and serving dishes — when it sank some 2,100 years ago.
Researchers believe the cargo originated from the region around the ancient port city of Rhosus, in modern-day Arsuz, Turkey, which served as a hub for elite tableware production at the time. Rhosus tableware was so well-known that even the Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero famously mentioned ordering it in a letter from 50 B.C.E.
The Discovery Of An Ancient Shipwreck Filled With Luxury Tableware
According to an announcement about the discovery made by Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, excavations on the shipwreck began in 2025.
Since then, marine archaeologists have recovered thousands of ceramic pieces, which have since been transferred either to Antalya Museum or to conservation labs.
Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismThe wreck required aquatic robotic systems to assist in the excavations.
The wreck, sitting at depths between 140 and 180 feet, revealed 122 distinct types of tableware of different forms and sizes. Due to the wreck’s deep location, the excavations have required underwater robotic systems to support the marine archaeologists’ work on the ocean floor.
This excavation is a part of a broader project to recover wrecks along Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. In 2025, archaeologists associated with this project discovered ten shipwrecks during surveys along the coast.
One such shipwreck was also found laden with hundreds of well-preserved ceramics. Other marine archaeologists diving elsewhere in Turkey’s waters have also discovered a 1,500-year-old wreck carrying 10,000 ceramic plates, as well as a 1,100-year-old ship that sank with jugs of olive oil aboard.
Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismResearchers identified 122 distinct types of dishes within the haul of tableware.
This most recent ship dates back to around 2,100 years ago, and was transporting thousands of ceramics, packed together for shipment across the Mediterranean. The 122 distinct dish types also provide a detailed window into the variety of tableware available in the ancient world.
This large collection also gives insight into how ceramics were packed and distributed. The ceramic pieces found in the shipwreck were packed with clay between them before being placed inside crates, in order to reduce the risk of them breaking while at sea.
Thankfully for researchers, this packing method also aided in preserving the tableware long after the ship sank, allowing modern experts to glean insights from it that they might not otherwise be able to.
The Historical Significance Of The Rhosus Tableware Recently Found In Turkey
During the Late Hellenistic and Early Roman period, much of the Mediterranean’s fine tableware was produced in the port of Rhosus in present-day Turkey. Historians know this in part due to various written records left behind by the Romans.
Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismThe ceramics likely originated from ancient Rhosus, noted for its fine tableware by the likes of Cicero.
Rhosus was mentioned, for instance, in a letter from the famous orator Cicero to his close friend Titus Pomponius Atticus, which he wrote while he was governor of Cilicia in about 50 B.C.E. In the note, Cicero writes that he had ordered Rhosica vasa, which means vessels or dishes from Rhosus.
In the centuries following the discovery of that short reference to these ceramics, archaeologists and scholars have debated the exact production site of Cicero’s tableware. Some scholars have suggested that Cicero’s ceramics may have been what’s known as Eastern Sigillata A — popular ancient clay tableware originating somewhere along the Gulf of İskenderun in southeastern Turkey — but the debate has continued.
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