World’s oldest shipwreck discovered by archaeologists near Turkish island
The world’s oldest shipwreck has been discovered near the shore of Kekova Island in Turkey, renowned for its sunken artefacts and clear waters.
Archaeologists estimate the ship is between 4,400 and 4,700 years old, around the same time that the Great Pyramid was built.
While the ship’s wooden structure has not survived, artefacts the ship was carrying have been found lying on the sea floor. This includes more than 30 ceramic storage pots, known as amphorae, as well as three large stone anchors.
It is reported that the ship would have been 10m in length and would have been used to carry cargo across the Mediterranean Sea.
According to the BBC, Professor Hakan Öniz, from Akdeniz University, who led the expedition, said: “The shipwreck is a time capsule at the bottom of the sea”.
Comparing decoration techniques of the amphorae, Professor Öniz says the wreck was ‘definitely’ from the Early Bronze Age. The ceramics have a ‘distinctive’ design, with two handles, a ridge in the middle and a flat base.
Archeologists could not use a process called radiocarbon dating – which is usually used to determine the age of a shipwreck – as none of the ship’s wood remained.
Researchers believe that the vessel may have embarked from a port along the Levantine coast before heading toward Troy or Crete. They are now trying to find out exactly what was being carried in the amphorae, with predictions that it could have been olive oil, wine or tree resins.
A number of ancient vessels have been found in the Mediterranean, including a wreck off the coast of Dokos, Greece, which was until now the oldest discovery on record.
In 2019, a Roman-era shipwreck was discovered off the eastern coast of Cyprus. A pair of volunteer divers with the University of Cyprus’ archaeological research unit found the vessel was still loaded with amphorae, and was likely from Syria and ancient Cilicia, on modern-day Turkey’s coast.
It was considered to be the first well-preserved discovery of its kind in the island nation’s history.
