World’s Oldest Shipwreck Unearthed Off Turkey’s Coast

Archaeologists have uncovered what appears to be the world’s oldest shipwreck, dating to the Early Bronze Age, off Kekova Island on Turkey’s western coast. The wreck lies 30 metres beneath the surface and yielded more than 30 ceramic amphorae and three stone anchors, though the wooden hull has not survived. The pottery is remarkably intact, with some vessels still holding traces of their original contents. Professor Hakan Oniz of Akdeniz University described the find as a “time capsule at the bottom of the sea,” while Macquarie University’s Karin Sowada noted glossy residues that may be olive oil, wine, or tree resin. The artefacts are being conserved for display at Antalya’s new Mediterranean Underwater Archaeological Museum, set to open soon. The discovery surpasses the previous record of a 4,200‑year‑old wreck off Greece and the oldest intact wreck in the Black Sea, which dates to 2,400 years ago.