Archaeologists Say Bronze Age Wreck Off Turkey's Kekova Island Is World's Oldest
Divers off Turkey's Kekova Island have found a trade ship's cargo dated to 4,400–4,700 years ago, and some of its pots still hold residue from their contents.
Where the wreck was found
The wreck lies close to the shore of Kekova Island, in Turkey's Antalya region. Its artefacts are scattered across an underwater slope, about 30m beneath the surface.
The expedition was led by Prof Hakan Öniz of Akdeniz University for the Mediterranean Archaeology Association. He called the site "a time capsule at the bottom of the sea".
Divers found three large stone anchors, which the team says were carried as spares on long voyages. They also found more than 30 ceramic storage pots known as amphorae. The archaeologists believe the vessel was a trade ship about 10m long.
How old is it?
The date is roughly as old as the building of the Great Pyramid, according to the archaeologists. That puts it in the Early Bronze Age.
None of the ship's wood survived. That ruled out radiocarbon dating, which measures a form of carbon in organic material. Instead, the team studied the shape of the pots.
Pottery styles change over time, so a particular design can point to a particular period. The Kekova amphorae have two handles, a ridge in the middle and a flat base. Öniz said this matched amphorae found in Egypt and the Middle East that are known to be 4,400–4,700 years old.
"Comparing the decoration techniques… we can definitely say our wreck is Early Bronze Age. This is 100%," he said.
What the ceramic cargo reveals
Divers brought the pots to the surface, and they are now being conserved after thousands of years underwater. Dr Karin Sowada, an archaeologist at Australia's Macquarie University, examined them after recovery.
Some were intact and still held a viscous, glossy residue. "I looked inside and nearly fainted," she said, adding that much of the material remained and it was not just spots.
The team is working to identify what the jars carried. Sowada said it could be olive oil, wine or tree resins. She also cautioned that the residue might come from reuse, because such large jars would have been emptied on arrival and potentially used for many years.
The cargo also sheds light on ancient trade. The archaeologists say the ship set out from somewhere on the eastern Mediterranean coast. They believe it was heading either to the ancient city of Troy, in north-western Turkey, or to the Minoan people on Crete.
A dangerous stretch of sea
Sea travel was risky, particularly around Kekova Island, where strong currents and winds have claimed many ships. There are hundreds of wrecks in the area, and the Mediterranean Archaeology Association specialises in finding and studying them.
Öniz said he thinks of the people tied to the vessel when he dives on it. "We are the first humans who [have] touched these objects after 5,000 years," he said.
What happens next
The main open question is what the amphorae held. The team is analysing the residue, and the results should show whether the jars carried oil, wine, resin or something else. The recovered pots remain in conservation. The sources do not say when findings will be published.
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Quick answers
How deep is the Kekova Island shipwreck?
The artefacts lie across an underwater slope about 30m below the surface, close to the shore of Kekova Island.
Why couldn't radiocarbon dating be used?
Radiocarbon dating needs organic material, and the ship's wood has not survived. The team dated the wreck by comparing the pottery's style with similar finds from Egypt and the Middle East.
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