By XANTHA LEATHAM, EXECUTIVE SCIENCE EDITOR
Published: | Updated:
Having sunk to the bottom of the sea when the pyramids were being built, its treasures could have been lost to the sands of time.
But a wave of luck has swept over archeologists after they discovered what is believed to be the world's oldest known shipwreck off Turkey's coast - dating back an astonishing 4,700 years.
The vessel was found near Kekova Island in Antalya and is thought to have sunk between 2600 BC and 2400 BC, around the same time the Great Pyramid of Giza was being built.
Although the ship's wooden hull has long since decayed, divers uncovered a cargo of ancient storage pots and stone anchors resting nearly 100ft (30m) below the surface.
Researchers say the discovery predates the famous Dokos wreck in Greece, previously regarded as the world's oldest known shipwreck.
The archaeologists who found the ship say it was about 32ft (10m) in length and was a trade vessel carrying cargo.
‘The shipwreck is a time capsule at the bottom of the sea,’ Professor Hakan Oniz, from Akdeniz University in Turkey, who led the Mediterranean Archaeology Association expedition, said.
Although the ship's wooden hull has long since decayed, divers uncovered a cargo of ancient storage pots and stone anchors resting nearly 100ft (30m) below the surface
More than 30 ceramic pots called amphorae were identified, along with three stone anchors
The newly identified wreck lies in an area of the Mediterranean that contains several ancient shipwrecks from different periods, including Roman vessels
In total, more than 30 ceramic pots called amphorae were identified at the site, along with three stone anchors.
Experts believe the vessel was a trading ship carrying goods such as olive oil or wine across the eastern Mediterranean.
Analysis of the clay suggests the amphorae were probably produced in workshops in the Jordan Valley before being transported by sea.
Similar vessels have previously been found near the Egyptian pyramids at Giza, Saqqara and Abusir, as well as at Troy and on Crete, hinting at extensive Bronze Age trade networks.
According to the researchers, the ship may have departed from a port on the Levantine coast and been sailing west towards Troy or Crete when disaster struck.
In their study published in the Journal of Maritime Archaeology, the team wrote: ‘Current information suggests that the shipwreck is from a small vessel that sank while sailing east to west during the Early Bronze Age.’
Analysis of the clay suggests the amphorae were probably produced in workshops in the Jordan Valley before being transported by sea
According to the researchers, the ship may have departed from a port on the Levantine coast and been sailing west towards Troy or Crete when disaster struck
Experts believe the vessel was a trading ship carrying goods such as olive oil or wine across the eastern Mediterranean
Experts described the find as a 'time capsule at the bottom of the sea'. Their discovery suggests sailors may have produced their own food during voyages
Join the discussion
Are you amazed by the discovery of what could be the world's oldest known shipwreck? What other secrets do you think might be waiting beneath the sea?
Turkey's Culture and Tourism Minister, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, hailed the find as evidence of the world's oldest shipwreck and said it sheds new light on Anatolia's maritime past.
‘We are bringing to light the traces of the world’s oldest shipwreck,’ he said.
‘Clay analyses indicate that the amphorae were probably produced in workshops in the Jordan Valley.
‘The discovery of similar examples in Egypt, Troy and Crete is of great importance for understanding the trade networks that connected different regions by sea.’
He added: ‘Among the finds, one amphora stands out, featuring nine different markings and two holes in its body.
‘Thought to have possibly been used as a churn in cheese or butter production, this vessel offers clues that sailors may have produced their own food during long voyages.’