World's oldest shipwreck discovered off the coast of Turkey

Analysis of clay from recovered storage jars traces them to early Bronze Age workshops operating across the Jordan Valley.

Turkey's culture minister, Mehmet Nouri Ersavi, has said the country has discovered ancient treasures from what he called the "world's oldest shipwreck."

In a post on X on Wednesday, Ersoy announced that underwater excavations near Kekova Island in southern Antalya Province have uncovered ceramic storage jars dating back to 4,700 years before the Early Bronze Age.

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End of List While the ship's wooden hull did not survive, archaeologists recovered ancient storage jars after an underwater excavation project began earlier this year.

The jars, believed to have carried olive oil or wine, provide tangible evidence of early maritime trade and cultural exchange across the eastern Mediterranean, the ministry said.

Clay analysis showed that the vessels were made in Jordan Valley workshops, matching similar styles previously found in Egypt, Turkey, and Greece, indicating extensive Bronze Age sea routes.

Due to its unique design, one container had nine marks and two holes in its body, indicating that it may have been used for crushing butter or cheese.

Researchers believe that this ship was traveling from the shores of Syria to present-day Hisarlik in Turkey or the island of Crete in Greece when it capsized and sank.

The excavation was led by Hakan Oniz, Associate Professor of Archeology at Akdeniz University.

Speaking to the BBC, the professor said when his team first found the remains four years ago, the jars appeared to be only a century or two old.

"But later when we saw the same amphora forms in a publication about Egyptian archaeology, we were excited and returned to the site," he said. "Actually, they looked like the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. We were incredibly excited."

Ersavi added: "This discovery has shed light on the deep-rooted history of maritime trade along the Anatolian coast."