Turkiye’s Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the discovery of ancient treasures from what is described as the world’s oldest shipwreck. Underwater excavations near Kekova Island in the southern Antalya province uncovered ceramic storage jars dating back 4,700 years to the Early Bronze Age. Although the vessel’s wooden hull did not survive, archaeologists recovered the storage jars during an excavation project initiated earlier this year.
The jars, believed to have transported olive oil or wine, provide evidence of early maritime trade and cultural exchange in the eastern Mediterranean, according to the ministry. Clay analysis indicated that the containers were manufactured in workshops in the Jordan Valley, matching styles previously found in Egypt, Turkiye, and Greece, which illustrate extensive Bronze Age sea routes.
One vessel was noted for its unique design, featuring nine markings and two holes in its body, suggesting it may have been used to churn butter or cheese. Researchers believe the ship was sailing from the Levantine coast towards modern-day Hisarlik in Turkiye or the island of Crete in Greece when it capsized and sank.
The excavation was directed by Hakan Oniz, an associate professor of archaeology at Akdeniz University. Speaking to the BBC, Oniz stated that when his team first found the wreck four years ago, the jars appeared to be 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," he said. "Indeed, they were similar to those found at the Giza pyramids in Egypt. We were incredibly excited."
Ersoy added that the discovery has shed light on the deep-rooted history of maritime trade along the Anatolian coasts.