4,500-Year-Old Trading Ship Remains Discovered in Turkish Waters / Revisiting Maritime Trade Networks of the Bronze Age

The remains of a probable commercial ship have been discovered in the coastal waters of Kekova Island in southern Turkey, estimated to be around 4,500 years old. The find opens new prospects for studying seafaring, economic exchanges, and connections among Eastern Mediterranean communities in the Bronze Age.

According to Aria Heritage Reporter, the remains of this ancient vessel have been identified in the coastal waters of Kekova Island in Antalya Province, Turkey, an underwater area that, despite the destruction of the ship's wooden structure over time, has preserved part of its clay cargo in the rocky seabed. This finding is particularly important from the point of view of maritime archeology because the remains of the cargo can provide valuable evidence about the technology of making containers, the movement of goods and the economic ties of coastal communities in the third millennium BC.

Based on the report of the Australian ABC news network and the information published by Macquarie University, the age of this site based on the typological examination and comparison of the obtained pottery characteristics is estimated to be around 2700 to 2400 BC, a period of time that coincides with the construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. However, the aforementioned dating is still research in nature, and a more accurate determination of the site's age depends on additional investigations.

earthenware; The key to deciphering the ship's history

Karin Sodava, archaeologist and ancient pottery specialist at Macquarie University in Australia, joined the research group at the invitation of Hakan Oniz, associate professor of Akdeniz University in Turkey and the head of excavations, to participate in determining the origin and age of pottery artifacts. He examined more than 20 pieces of findings from the site; The works that the study of the type of clay, shape, construction techniques and their decorative features provide the possibility to compare with known examples from the ancient sites of Egypt and the Middle East.

An important part of the cargo includes large clay containers for storing and transporting goods, which were introduced in early reports as amphora or ancient storage containers. Besides these vessels, clay anchors have also been identified. Some of the discovered containers are up to 50 cm high, and their structural and decorative features are among the most important evidences used by researchers to estimate the age of the cargo.

The importance of this approach is that in maritime archaeology, when the floating wooden body is lost and it is not possible to date it directly, the comparative study of the cargo can provide basic clues for reconstructing the history of the ship and the possible routes of movement of goods. In Kekuva site, pottery is also considered as material documents for the study of the economy and technology of the ancient world.

From transporting goods to rebuilding exchange networks

Preliminary investigations show that the containers of this ship were used to transport and store various goods and materials. Grains, oil, wine and vegetable resins are among the possible contents proposed by the researchers; However, the definitive identification of the transported materials depends on the results of scientific tests on the residues left inside the containers.

The presence of visible traces of the remaining materials in some containers has enabled a more detailed study of the composition of the cargo. These surveys can provide information about the nature of the traded goods, the methods of storing and transporting the materials, and the possibility of the connection of this cargo with production and distribution centers in different parts of the Eastern Mediterranean.

In the meantime, the origin of pottery is also of independent importance. Comparing the characteristics of the containers and raw materials used in their construction can help to identify the production areas and the possible routes of goods transfer. Preliminary research has suggested that some of their containers or raw materials are related to the areas of the central Jordan Valley; A hypothesis that requires more specialized investigations to confirm.