Excavations at a 2,100-year-old shipwreck off Adrasan, in Turkey’s Antalya province, have recovered thousands of ceramic pieces.
The wreck, off the Kumluca district, lies 42 to 55 meters (138 to 180 feet) below the surface. Excavation began in 2025 and is continuing with the help of underwater robots.
The ship’s main cargo was plates and bowls from the Antioch area. They are believed to have been made on the coast of ancient Rhosus, in what is now Arsuz in Hatay province. They include nut dishes, soup bowls, fish plates and trays in various sizes, totaling 122 different forms and sizes. The wares were in demand in Rome.
Divers also found amphorae believed to have been made on some Aegean islands, pointing to a varied cargo.
Rhosus ceramics are mentioned in the writings of the Roman statesman Cicero. In a letter to his friend Atticus in 50 B.C., he said he had ordered ceramic vessels for him from Rhosus.