Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 2 hrs ago
Archaeologists find a shipwreck dating back up to 4,700 years off Turkey
Archaeologists found a shipwreck dating back 4,400 to 4,700 years near Kekova Island, off Turkey's southern coast.
The wooden hull has disappeared, but divers found more than 30 ceramic storage pots and three stone anchors about 30 metres underwater.
Researchers dated the wreck by comparing the pots' shape and decoration with pottery from the same period, because no wood remained for radiocarbon dating.
They believe the vessel carried goods across the eastern Mediterranean, possibly from its eastern coast towards Troy or Crete.
Some pots still hold residue, but researchers are trying to identify what they contained; it could be oil, wine or other substances, and the jars may have been reused.
The find could help researchers understand how early sea trade linked distant regions during the Early Bronze Age.
Archaeologists say they have found the world’s oldest known shipwreck off Kekova Island in Antalya, Turkey.
They date the wreck to between 4,400 and 4,700 years ago, in the Early Bronze Age.
The wooden hull has not survived, but divers found more than 30 ceramic storage pots and three stone anchors about 30m underwater.
The vessel was about 10m long and is thought to have carried trade goods across the Mediterranean.
The find may offer evidence of ancient sea trade between the eastern Mediterranean, Troy and Crete.
- Who
- Archaeologists from a Mediterranean Archaeology Association expedition, led by Professor Hakan Öniz, found the wreck.
- What
- A shipwreck dated to between 4,400 and 4,700 years ago, with more than 30 ceramic pots and three stone anchors.
- When
- The wreck dates to the Early Bronze Age, between 4,400 and 4,700 years ago. The discovery was reported on 14 October 2026.
- Where
- Underwater near Kekova Island in Antalya, Turkey, about 30m below the surface.
- Why
- The vessel is thought to have been a trade ship carrying goods across the Mediterranean; the discovery may shed light on ancient maritime trade.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The vessel sank near what is now Kekova Island, according to archaeologists’ dating of its pottery.
The discovery was reported by the Daily Mail and BBC.
Divers brought the pots to the surface, and they are being carefully conserved.
The team is working to identify what the amphorae carried.
- Estimated age
- 4,400–4,700 years
- Location
- Near Kekova Island, Antalya, Turkey
- Depth
- About 30m
- Vessel length
- About 10m
- Cargo finds
- More than 30 ceramic pots and three stone anchors
- Possible route
- From the eastern Mediterranean towards Troy or Crete
3 sources
What people are saying
The shipwreck is a time capsule at the bottom of the sea
Comparing the decoration techniques… we can definitely say our wreck is Early Bronze Age. This is 100%.
I looked inside and nearly fainted. I could not believe how much [residue] was visible. It wasn't just like spots…. a lot of this material was still remaining
The discovery of similar examples in Egypt, Troy and Crete is of great importance for understanding the trade networks that connected different regions by sea.