Ancient shipwreck off Antalya identified as the oldest known, dated 4,400–4,700 years
Ceramics and residues from a roughly 10‑metre merchant vessel were found on the seabed and dated to the early Bronze Age.
Archaeologists say they have uncovered the oldest ship remains known to science off the coast of Antalya in southern Turkey. The finds have been dated to roughly 4,400–4,700 years ago, placing them in the early Bronze Age and roughly contemporaneous with the construction of the Great Pyramid.
The wooden hull itself has not survived, but teams working on the seabed recovered ceramic vessels that once formed part of the ship’s cargo; some of those pots still retain traces of their original contents. Investigators estimate the vessel was about 10 metres long and believe it served as a merchant ship transporting goods across the Mediterranean.
"These remains are a time capsule on the seabed," said Hakan Oniz of Akdeniz University, who led the expedition of the Mediterranean Archaeological Association.
Significance for Bronze Age maritime trade
Experts note that the assemblage offers a rare snapshot of long‑distance exchange in the early Bronze Age: pottery types and residue analyses can reveal what commodities were moved and hint at trade routes between Anatolia and other Mediterranean shores.
The discovery is notable both for its age and for the preservation of organic traces inside the ceramics, which can survive even when a vessel’s wooden structure has decomposed. Archaeologists say further laboratory tests will aim to identify the residues and to refine the dating of the wreck.
Researchers expect that continued dives and conservation work will yield additional finds and clearer context for the site, shedding light on seafaring technology and commercial networks more than four millennia ago.
Photo: H, Oniz)
