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A study published in the Journal of Maritime Archaeology has identified a vessel dating to between 4,400 and 4,700 years ago as the world’s oldest shipwreck after its discovery off Kekova Island in Turkey’s Antalya province. The Early Bronze Age ship was a roughly 10-metre-long trading vessel that carried cargo across the Mediterranean, according to researchers from Akdeniz University who led the work through the Mediterranean Archaeology Association. Its location on an underwater slope about 30 metres beneath the waves places it in an area known for strong currents that have sunk numerous vessels over millennia, the Independent reported.
More than 30 ceramic storage jars, known as amphorae, along with three stone anchors were scattered across the seabed at the site, a development first flagged during earlier underwater surveys by Akdeniz University before full excavations began in 2026 under the Antalya Museum Directorate. While the wooden hull has not survived, some of the pots retain residues that analyses suggest could be olive oil, wine or tree resin, and one example with unique markings may have functioned as a churn for making cheese or butter, potentially indicating that crews kept goats on board for dairy production during long voyages, Euronews reported. The three-holed anchors resemble examples from Minoan, Cypriot, Anatolian and Levantine Bronze Age contexts while the single-holed anchor matches types from Anatolian and Levantine coasts, according to the journal study.
Clay analyses indicate the amphorae were likely produced in workshops in the Jordan Valley, with comparable vessels previously unearthed near Egypt’s Giza pyramids as well as at Troy and in Crete, revealing the extent of trade and cultural exchanges in the eastern Mediterranean at the time, a Journal of Maritime Archaeology assessment found. The wreck now surpasses the previous record holder, a vessel off Dokos island in Greece dated to about 4,200 years ago, by several centuries, multiple outlets including Gulf News noted. This period aligns with the construction of Egypt’s Great Pyramid, offering a snapshot of maritime capabilities when major ancient civilisations were flourishing.
Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated on social media that “In our ‘Blue Homeland’, we are bringing to light traces of the world’s oldest shipwreck.” The recovered artefacts are undergoing conservation treatment and are slated for eventual display at the new Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology Museum in Antalya, according to reports in Daily Sabah. Divers faced significant constraints, with bottom time limited to about 30 minutes per excursion due to the depth, which slowed documentation of the site.
Prof Hakan Öniz, from Akdeniz University, who headed the expedition, said, “The shipwreck is a time capsule at the bottom of the sea.” The find builds on Turkey’s established record in underwater archaeology, which includes the Uluburun and Cape Gelidonya wrecks from the Late Bronze Age that were excavated in the 20th century and illuminated sophisticated trade networks spanning multiple cultures, an overview from Archaeology Magazine detailed. Further laboratory examination of the pottery residues and manufacturing marks is anticipated to provide additional data on the ship’s possible routes between the Levant, Anatolia, Egypt and the Aegean.
The discovery underscores how maritime trade helped connect distant regions during the Early Bronze Age, when goods moved despite the technological limits of the era, according to experts cited across regional publications. No wooden elements remained for radiocarbon dating, so age estimates rest entirely on stylistic comparisons of the amphorae and anchors with securely dated examples from terrestrial sites, the Independent reported. Officials plan continued work at the location to ensure no additional artefacts are overlooked in the challenging underwater environment.
