When the pyramids were still rising, this ancient vessel disappeared beneath the sea, taking its valuable cargo into the depths and seemingly erasing it from history.
Now, archaeologists believe a remarkable discovery off Turkey may have revealed the world’s oldest known shipwreck, dating back an extraordinary 4,700 years.
Located near Kekova Island in Antalya, the wreck is thought to have sunk sometime between 2600 BC and 2400 BC—roughly the era in which the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed.
The wooden hull has vanished over the millennia, but divers found a remarkable cargo nearly 100ft (30m) underwater, including ancient storage vessels and stone anchors.
The find could rewrite the history of maritime archaeology, appearing to be older than the Dokos wreck in Greece, which had previously held the title of the oldest known shipwreck.
The archaeological team estimates that the vessel measured around 32ft (10m) and served as a merchant ship transporting goods across the Mediterranean.
Professor Hakan Oniz of Turkey’s Akdeniz University, who led the Mediterranean Archaeology Association expedition, described the discovery as “a time capsule at the bottom of the sea.”
The ship’s wooden structure has disappeared, but divers recovered ancient storage jars and stone anchors from almost 100ft (30m) beneath the surface
The underwater excavation revealed more than 30 ceramic containers, known as amphorae, as well as three stone anchors
Researchers estimate that the trading vessel was approximately 32ft in length
Archaeologists identified more than 30 ceramic containers, known as amphorae, together with three stone anchors at the wreck site.
The evidence suggests the ship was transporting commercial goods, potentially including olive oil or wine, along routes connecting communities throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
Clay analysis indicates that the amphorae were likely made in workshops in the Jordan Valley before being loaded onto the ship for transport by sea.
Comparable vessels have been discovered around the Egyptian pyramid sites of Giza, Saqqara and Abusir, as well as at Troy and on Crete. Together, the finds point to surprisingly far-reaching Bronze Age trading networks.
Researchers propose that the ship began its journey at a port along the Levantine coast and was heading west towards Troy or Crete when it sank.
Writing in the Journal of Maritime Archaeology, the researchers said current evidence points to “a small vessel that sank while sailing east to west during the Early Bronze Age.”
Researchers’ examination of the clay suggests the amphorae were made in Jordan Valley workshops before being carried across the sea
The vessel may have left a Levantine port and been travelling west towards Troy or Crete when it met disaster
The cargo indicates that the ship was likely carrying trade goods, possibly olive oil or wine, across the eastern Mediterranean
Experts have called the wreck a “time capsule at the bottom of the sea,” while the discovery may also offer clues about how sailors prepared food during long voyages
Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Minister, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, hailed the find as evidence of the world’s oldest shipwreck and said it sheds new light on Anatolia’s maritime past.
‘We are bringing to light the traces of the world’s oldest shipwreck,’ he said.
‘Clay analyses indicate that the amphorae were probably produced in workshops in the Jordan Valley.
‘The discovery of similar examples in Egypt, Troy and Crete is of great importance for understanding the trade networks that connected different regions by sea.’
He added: ‘Among the finds, one amphora stands out, featuring nine different markings and two holes in its body.
‘Thought to have possibly been used as a churn in cheese or butter production, this vessel offers clues that sailors may have produced their own food during long voyages.’