A journey into the unknown, a misfortune at sea and a mystery that has lasted almost five millennia: off the Turkish Mediterranean coast, near the island of Kekova, archaeologists have come across a shipwreck that could be older than any other known to date. The ship itself has long since disappeared, its wood long since decayed by salt water. But its cargo still lies on the ocean floor - and could reveal how far people traded across the sea thousands of years ago.
Thirty meters below the water's surface, among rocks and sediments, underwater archaeologists discovered more than 30 ceramic vessels and three stone anchors. These pieces could be between 4,400 and 4,700 years old and were created in an era in which the great pyramids were being built in Egypt and extensive trade relations were already developing in the eastern Mediterranean. If this is confirmed, it would be the oldest shipwreck known to date.
The researchers at Akdeniz University in Antalya, Turkey, were able to narrow down its age primarily based on the ceramics. Their shape, their workmanship and their decorations are reminiscent of pieces that had already been discovered in other places and were assigned to the early Bronze Age, the period between 2700 and 2400 BC - which corresponds to the age of around 4400 to 4700 years.
Based on the clay analyses, the experts assume that some of the vessels found come from workshops in the Jordan Valley, from an unknown location between Israel and Jordan. Far away - in Egypt near the pyramids of Giza, in ancient Troy and on Crete - similar objects had already been found.
These are parallels that are particularly revealing for archaeologists: they can provide clues about where goods were made, the routes over which they were transported, and the extent of contact between early societies.
It is impossible to say exactly why the ship sank. One theory: It may have set off from the eastern Mediterranean coast and from there set course for Troy in the northwest of today's Türkiye or for Crete. A storm, navigational error, or other misfortune may have caused difficulties on its journey there until it finally sank.
What could be reconstructed from the find, however, are the goods that the crew once delivered across the sea. Some of the jugs still contain remains that could have been left over from olive oil, wine, tree resin or other goods. However, the experts make it clear that the vessels could have been used multiple times; the residues do not necessarily have to come from the transported contents.
One of the vessels poses a particular puzzle to the researchers: a vessel with two openings and nine strange symbols. It may have been used to make butter or turn milk into cheese. If this is confirmed, the find would not only tell of trade, but also of life on board. Perhaps the sailors produced their own food during longer voyages.
The oldest shipwreck to date was a discovery off the Greek island of Dokos. The ceramics discovered there are said to have been made around 2200 BC. The Turkish wreck could therefore be several centuries older - a record with reservations. So far, its classification has only been based on the items carried, not on the preserved parts of the ship itself. The finds are now being further scientifically examined. They will later be exhibited in an archeology museum in Antalya.
