A shipwreck discovered off Kekova Island, Antalya, has been identified as the world's oldest known shipwreck, dated to between 4,400 and 4,700 years ago (Early Bronze Age). The vessel, about 10 m long, lost its wooden structure but left a cargo field on a 30 m-deep slope: more than 30 distinctive amphorae and three large stone anchors. Several amphorae still contain a viscous, glossy residue. Divers recovered the pottery and are conserving it aboard a research vessel; laboratory work is underway to determine whether the residues are olive oil, wine, tree resins or products related to reuse of the jars. Excavation time underwater was limited to roughly 30 minutes per dive because of depth and safety constraints.
Dating was done by ceramic typology: the amphorae’s two handles, mid-body ridge and flat base match Early Bronze Age examples from Egypt and the Levant, enabling a 4,400-4,700-year attribution despite absence of wood for radiocarbon dating. The assemblage points to east Mediterranean trade networks, with the ship likely sailing from an eastern Levantine port toward destinations such as Troy or Crete. The finds are state property and will be displayed in Turkey’s new Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology Museum when conservation and analysis are complete.
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