Uncovering a Lost Era: The Mysterious Ancient Shipwreck Discovered in Turkey That Could Rewrite Maritime History
So, picture this: a 33-foot cargo ship, loaded with a couple dozen ceramic containers, doing its thing on the Mediterranean about 4,700 years ago — way back when the pyramids were still fresh on the scene across the sea. Now, here’s the kicker: this ancient boat sank somewhere off the coast of Turkey, and while its wooden frame didn’t survive the test of time, the cargo did, giving us a jaw-dropping peek into Early Bronze Age seafaring. What caught my eye? Those amphorae—ancient storage pots—that might still hold traces of olive oil or wine. Makes you wonder, were these early sailors just having the first Mediterranean happy hour before their untimely shipwreck? Dive in, because this discovery isn’t just a sunken ship; it’s a time capsule revealing secrets of ancient maritime trade routes and the everyday life of seafarers long gone. Ready to decode history’s watery mystery? LEARN MORE
This 33-foot cargo vessel was transporting several dozen ceramic containers across the Mediterranean when it sank some 4,700 years ago.
Hakan ÖnizResearchers off the coast of Kekova Island in Antalya discovered artifacts from a shipwreck that dates back as far as 4,700 years.
An ancient cargo vessel believed to be the world’s oldest shipwreck has been found off the coast of Turkey. This sunken ship dates back an astonishing 4,700 years — right around the time when the pyramids of Egypt were being built just across the Mediterranean Sea.
Although the actual body of the ship has disintegrated over the years, archaeologists believe that the submerged cargo that they discovered will help shed light on the seafaring civilizations that were thriving in the Mediterranean during the Early Bonze Age.
The Discovery Of What’s Believed To Be The Oldest Shipwreck Ever Found
The remaining cargo and other artifacts from this sunken ship were discovered at a depth of almost 100 feet off the shore of Kekova Island in Antalya.
Before this historic discovery, the oldest-known shipwreck ever found dated back 4,200 years. It was also found in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Greece. Meanwhile, the world’s oldest intact shipwreck was discovered in 2024 in the Black Sea, and dates back 2,400 years.
AFP PHOTO/Black Sea MAP/EEF ExpeditionsThe oldest intact shipwreck ever found, as seen soon after it was discovered in the Black Sea in 2024.
Despite the absence of the wooden structure of the newly-found boat in Turkey, archaeologists were able to determine that it was about 33 feet long before it sank. Divers also uncovered three stone anchors and around 30 ceramic amphorae, or storage pots.
Divers originally found these artifacts in 2022, but did not initially realize just how ancient they really were. It wasn’t until recent research led by the Mediterranean Archaeology Association that researchers discovered that these relics were in fact thousands of years older than they first thought.
“When we first found the wreck four years ago, the shapes of the amphorae reminded us of types dating back only 100 or 200 years, so we didn’t immediately grasp its true significance,” Professor Hakan Öniz, a marine archeologist from Akdeniz University who led the expedition, said to IFLScience. “However, we later became excited when we saw the same amphora forms in a publication on Egyptian archaeology and returned to the site. Indeed, they were similar to those found at the Giza pyramids in Egypt.”
Öniz also noted to the BBC that the decoration techniques on the pots resembled other examples of amphorae made in Egypt and the Middle East between 4,400 and 4,700 years ago.
Hakan ÖnizSome 30 amphorae were found overall, and some of their contents remained intact.
“We can definitely say our wreck is early Bronze Age. This is 100 percent,” Öniz told the BBC.
Furthermore, the research team invited Australian archaeologist Karin Sowada, a leading expert on amphorae, to analyze the recent finds. Sowada confirmed to PEOPLE that “these are the oldest known remains of a seagoing ship yet found,” and that the remains give “archaeologists a time capsule from the past.”
What This Discovery Means For Historians’ Understanding Of Ancient Maritime Trade
Archaeologists discovered hardened resin and traces of ancient liquid inside the pots, despite the fact that they’d been submerged underwater for thousands of years. This discovery opened up questions for the researchers about both what the ship was transporting and where it was going.
Hakan ÖnizResearchers discovered hardened residue in the ceramic pots that could be olive oil or wine.
Sowada told PEOPLE that the “ship represents a ‘missing piece’ of the story about ancient trade relations in the eastern Mediterranean.”
The Mediterranean was a hub of economic activity during the Early Bronze Age. Researchers believe this particular cargo ship was carrying amphorae made in the Jordan Valley, and was heading west, possibly to Troy or the Minoan civilization on Crete.
Öniz noted to PEOPLE that the substances found in the amphorae are still being analyzed, but they could be remnants of olive oil or wine. He also said that the researchers found a submerged “churning amphora,” which was likely used by sailors on board the ship.
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