A wreck 30 m under the sea off Kekova Island, Turkey, kept its cargo — more than 30 amphorae and three stone anchors — though the wooden hull is gone. Amphora typology (two handles, central ridge, flat base) puts it at 4,700–4,400 years old, making it a few centuries older than the previous record-holder off Dokos, Greece ⚓
4,700-year-old wreck off Kekova Island claimed as world's oldest shipwreck
TürkiyeUnderwaterMajor Discovery
Key facts
- The wreck was found 30 m below the sea surface off the shores of Kekova Island, Turkey.
- The wooden hull did not survive, but the cargo of more than 30 amphorae and three stone anchors did.
- Archaeologists estimate the vessel was about 10 m long and probably a trade ship.
- Dating to between 4,700 and 4,400 years old was based on amphora typology rather than radiocarbon, using features including two handles, a central ridge and a flat base that match other Early Bronze Age examples from Egypt and elsewhere.
- The date makes it the oldest known shipwreck, predating the record-holder off Dokos, Greece, by a few hundred years.
- Some intact amphorae held a glossy internal residue that might be olive oil, wine or tree resin; analysis is underway.
- Researchers suggest the ship was carrying goods from the eastern Mediterranean toward Troy or Minoan Crete, though the presenter notes no published evidence supports the Troy connection.
- Archaeologists not associated with the project are cautious about the oldest-shipwreck label because nothing has yet been carbon dated.
Sources
nature.com
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frontiersin.org
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bbc.co.uk
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arkeonews.net
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unitru.edu.pe
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sheffield.ac.uk
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Kekova shipwrecken.wikipedia.org
One amphora appeared to be a Bronze Age container for transporting olive oil and wine. The ship is estimated to have been a trade vessel about 10 metres long.
World's oldest shipwreck off Turkeyeuronews.com
Underwater excavations carried out off the island of Kekova in Antalya have brought to light amphorae dating back around 4,400–4,700 years. The ...
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