World’s oldest shipwreck discovered off coast of Turkey
Archaeologists have discovered what they believe is the world's oldest shipwreck off the coast of Turkey, dating back to approximately 2700–2400 BCE. The find, located near Kekova, provides new insights into ancient Mediterranean trade routes during the Early Bronze Age.
Why it matters
This discovery could fundamentally reshape our understanding of maritime history and the development of early international trade networks.
Hakan Öniz https://theconversation.com/worlds-oldest-shipwreck-discovered-off-coast-of-turkey-294248 https://theconversation.com/worlds-oldest-shipwreck-discovered-off-coast-of-turkey-294248 Link copied Share article Share article
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A shipwreck off the coast of Turkey is the oldest shipwreck in the world, our team of archaeologists believes.
There’s little left of the ship itself but based on clues from its cargo – including pottery vessels – a research team I was part of has tentatively dated the wreck to around 2700–2400 BCE.
That’s about 4,500 years ago. Prior to this discovery, the world’s oldest shipwreck was a wreck off the coast of Dokos, in Greece, thought to have been from about 4,200 years ago .
Much work remains to be done to finesse the conclusions, and a paper outlining the results is yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Yet the discovery could transform our understanding of ancient Mediterranean connections during the Early Bronze Age.
Also covering this story
5 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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