World's Oldest Shipwreck Found Off Turkey, Dating 4,700 Years

Archaeologists have discovered the world's oldest known shipwreck off Kekova Island in southern Turkey, dated to between 4,400 and 4,700 years ago—the Early Bronze Age, contemporary with construction of Egypt's Great Pyramid. The vessel, approximately 10 meters in length, sank at a depth of about 30 meters and has been preserved as what expedition leader Hakan Öniz of Akdeniz University calls "a time capsule at the bottom of the sea."

The wooden hull did not survive, but the cargo of more than 30 ceramic amphorae (large double-handled storage vessels) and three large stone anchors remained largely intact on the seabed. The amphorae were dated through comparative pottery analysis—their distinctive two-handle design, central ridge, and flat base match Early Bronze Age vessels found in Egypt and the Middle East. Remarkably, some vessels still contain viscous residue, allowing researchers to study what was transported. Most amphorae likely held olive oil, wine, or tree resins for trade, though one amphora features distinctive marks and two holes suggesting it may have been used for dairy production, possibly indicating goats traveled aboard.

The excavation, led by Öniz from the Mediterranean Archaeology Association, built on a discovery made four years earlier. The team's understanding of the wreck's age crystallized after comparing the Kekova amphorae to vessels found near the Giza pyramids in Egypt. Australian archaeologist Karin Sowada, a leading expert on ancient pottery, was invited to examine the recovered vessels and confirmed the dating through further analysis. Clay composition studies indicate the amphorae were likely produced in workshops in the Jordan Valley.

Researchers believe the ship originated from the eastern Mediterranean coast, possibly the Levantine region (modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Palestine), and was sailing toward either the ancient city of Troy in northwestern Turkey or to the Minoan civilization in Crete when it sank. The discovery of similar stone anchors at Bronze Age sites in Minoan, Cypriot, Anatolian, and Levantine contexts suggests the vessel employed regional anchoring technology. The wreck displaces the previous record holder—the Dokos shipwreck off southern Greece, dating to approximately 4,200 years ago.

Turkey's Ministry of Culture, which owns the wreck, announced plans to display the recovered artifacts in the new Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology Museum in Antalya. The discovery illuminates ancient trade networks, maritime practices, and the daily lives of Early Bronze Age sailors who navigated the Mediterranean's hazardous waters, particularly around Kekova Island, known for strong currents and winds.