Archaeologists discover world’s oldest shipwreck off Turkish coast

Archaeologists have identified a trade vessel dating back 4,400 to 4,700 years off the coast of Turkey, making it the oldest shipwreck documented to date.

The wreckage was located near Kekova Island in Antalya, resting approximately 30 meters underwater on a slope. According to BBC News and CBS News, the vessel was roughly 10 meters long and sank during the Early Bronze Age, roughly the same period the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed. Turkey's Culture and Tourism Minister, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, noted that the find provides significant insights into ancient maritime life and trade connections.

While the ship's wooden structure did not survive nearly five millennia submerged, archaeologists found three stone anchors and more than 30 ceramic storage jars, known as amphorae. Professor Hakan Öniz of Akdeniz University, who led the expedition, described the site to the BBC as a "time capsule at the bottom of the sea." He explained that the team initially located the site four years ago but only realized its true age after identifying the pottery's unique design in Egyptian archaeological records.

Because the wood had decayed, researchers used the distinctive shape of the amphorae—featuring two handles and a flat base—to date the site. Analysis of the clay suggests the jars were manufactured in the Jordan Valley. Dr. Karin Sowada, an archaeologist from Macquarie University, told the BBC she was stunned to find a thick, glossy residue still inside some of the intact jars. Researchers believe the ship may have been transporting wine, olive oil, or tree resins toward destinations like Troy or Crete.

The recovery effort involved divers bringing the ceramics to the surface for conservation. The team is now conducting further analysis to confirm the exact nature of the preserved residues, which Dr. Sowada suggested could also be evidence of the jars being reused in antiquity.