World's Oldest Sunken Ship Found Off the Coast of Turkey
Off the coast of Turkey, near Kekova Island in Antalya province, archaeologists have discovered the remains of a ship that sank approximately 4400–4700 years ago. Researchers claim it is the oldest known sunken vessel in the world. It existed around the same time the Pyramid of Cheops was built in Egypt, writes the BBC.
Three stone anchors were found at the disaster site
The wooden hull of the ship did not survive, but objects it was carrying remained on the seabed: three large stone anchors and more than 30 ceramic vessels. The findings are scattered along an underwater slope at a depth of about 30 meters. It is believed that the vessel was a merchant ship, approximately 10 meters long, and transported goods across the Mediterranean Sea.
To determine the age of the ship, archaeologists studied the shape of the vessels. Since the wood did not survive, radiocarbon analysis was impossible. The pottery, however, has distinctive features: two handles, a prominent rib in the middle part, and a flat bottom. Similar amphorae have been found in Egypt and the Middle East, where they are dated to a period 4400–4700 years ago.
Thanks to the discovered amphorae, the age of the vessel can also be determined. Photo: Hakan Öniz
The head of the Mediterranean Archaeology Association expedition, Hakan Öniz from Turkey's Akdeniz University, stated that the characteristics of the ceramic processing confidently place the ship in the Early Bronze Age.
After being brought to the surface, the vessels were handed over to specialists for conservation. Archaeologist Karin Sawada from Macquarie University in Australia found a significant amount of thick, shiny residue inside some of them. Researchers are now trying to determine what exactly was transported on the ship. It could have been olive oil, wine, or tree resin. It's also possible that the vessels were reused: after unloading, they might have been refilled with goods and sent back to sea.
Findings that have spent thousands of years underwater need to be conserved. Photo: Hakan Öniz
The discovery will help to better understand the trade links of the ancient Mediterranean. According to archaeologists, the ship likely departed from the eastern Mediterranean coast and was heading either to Troy, located in modern-day northwestern Turkey, or to Crete, where the Minoans lived.
The area around Kekova Island was dangerous for navigation due to strong currents and winds. Hundreds of sunken ships lie in the surrounding waters, which underwater archaeologists are studying.
Hakan Öniz notes that behind every such discovery lie the fates of the people who built the vessels, made the amphorae, and loaded them onto the ships. According to him, researchers realize that they are the first people in five thousand years to have touched these items.
Underwater archaeologists carefully excavate the objects. Photo: Hakan Öniz
Previously, the oldest known sunken ship was believed to be a vessel found near the Greek island of Dokos, aged about 4200 years. However, among ships from which wooden fragments have survived, the oldest remains a vessel about 2400 years old, found in the Black Sea off the coast of Bulgaria.