World's Oldest Shipwreck Discovered Off Turkiye Coast, Revealing 4,700-Year-Old Maritime Secrets

Turkiye has unearthed what is being hailed as the world's oldest shipwreck, yielding ancient treasures that offer profound insights into early maritime trade. Turkiye’s Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the discovery of ceramic storage jars dating back 4,700 years to the Early Bronze Age, found near Kekova Island in the southern Antalya province. While the ship's wooden hull has not survived, archaeologists successfully recovered the ancient jars as part of an underwater excavation project initiated earlier this year.

These jars, believed to have once contained olive oil or wine, provide significant evidence of early maritime trade and cultural exchange throughout the eastern Mediterranean, according to the ministry. Clay analysis has revealed that the containers were produced in workshops located in the Jordan Valley. Their design matches similar styles previously discovered in Egypt, Turkiye, and Greece, underscoring extensive Bronze Age sea routes.

One particular vessel stood out due to its unique design, featuring nine markings and two holes. Researchers speculate these might have been used for churning butter or cheese. It is believed the ship was en route from the Levantine coast towards what is now Hisarlik in Turkiye or the island of Crete in Greece when it capsized.

The excavation was led by Hakan Oniz, an associate professor of archaeology at Akdeniz University. He shared with the BBC that his team initially discovered the wreck four years ago, with the jars appearing only a century or two old. "However, we later became excited when we saw the same amphora forms in a publication on Egyptian archaeology and returned to the site," Oniz stated. "Indeed, they were similar to those found at the Giza pyramids in Egypt. We were incredibly excited." Minister Ersoy added that this discovery "has shed light on the deep-rooted history of maritime trade along the Anatolian coasts."