Turkiye Unveils World's Oldest Shipwreck With 4,700-Year-Old Trade Jars

Turkiye's Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced a major find off its southern coast. He called it "the world's oldest shipwreck." The discovery happened near Kekova Island in Antalya province, where underwater work brought to light ceramic storage jars from the Early Bronze Age. These vessels date back 4,700 years.

The wooden hull of the craft did not survive the passage of time. Yet archaeologists recovered the clay containers after a project launched earlier this year. The ministry says these jars likely held olive oil or wine. They prove that trade and culture moved across the eastern Mediterranean in ancient times. Analysis of the clay shows the pots were made in workshops along the Jordan Valley. Their style matches similar finds from Egypt, Turkiye, and Greece. This points to busy sea routes during the Bronze Age.

One jar stood out for its unique design. It bore nine markings and had two holes built into its body. Experts think it may have been used to churn butter or cheese. Researchers believe the vessel sailed from the Levantine coast toward modern-day Hisarlik in Turkiye, perhaps heading for Crete as well. When the ship capsized, it sank deep beneath the water.

Hakan Oniz directed the excavation. He is an associate professor of archaeology at Akdeniz University. Speaking to the BBC, he explained that his team first spotted the wreck four years ago. At that time, the jars looked only a century or two old. The excitement grew later on. His group saw amphora forms in a publication about Egyptian archaeology and went back to check the site again. They were similar to those found at the Giza pyramids. Oniz said they were incredibly excited by the match.

Ersoy noted that the find sheds light on the deep-rooted history of maritime trade along the Anatolian coasts. The discovery confirms how far these ancient traders reached and what goods they carried. It is a significant piece of evidence for understanding early economies in the region.