4,700-year-old wreck off Türkiye's Kekova may be world's oldest shipwreck

Underwater excavations off Kekova in Antalya have uncovered amphorae and stone anchors dated to 4,400 to 4,700 years ago. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy described the site as the world's oldest shipwreck.

An underwater excavation off Kekova Island in Türkiye's Antalya province is bringing to light an Early Bronze Age shipwreck. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy described the site, where amphorae about 4,700 years old were found, as "the world's oldest shipwreck," saying its traces were being uncovered in the Blue Homeland.

Divers working at a depth of about 30 meters found more than 30 ceramic vessels and three stone anchors. The ship's wooden hull has not survived. The shape and decoration of the pottery date the finds to between 4,400 and 4,700 years ago.

Clues to Eastern Mediterranean trade

An amphora on the seabed at the wreck site off Kekova

Clay analyses of the amphorae, believed to have carried olive oil or wine, suggest they may have been made in workshops in the Jordan Valley. Similar vessels found in Egypt, Troy and Crete point to an extensive maritime trade network in the Eastern Mediterranean at the time.

Ersoy highlighted an amphora bearing nine distinct markings and two holes. Believed to have been used as a churn for making cheese or butter, the vessel could offer clues as to whether ancient seafarers produced food on long voyages.

Caution over the "oldest" claim

The wreck was first identified during earlier underwater surveys by Akdeniz University. Excavations began this year with ministry permission, led by the Antalya Museum Directorate under the scientific supervision of Associate Professor Hakan Öniz. While Öniz insists the wreck is definitely the oldest, some experts urge caution over the "world's oldest shipwreck" label because no remains of a wooden hull have been found.