4,700-year-old shipwreck points to Crete among Bronze Age trade routes, say archaeologists
Archaeologists have identified a shipwreck dating back as much as 4,700 years off the island of Kekova, in Turkey’s Antalya province, which they say offers new evidence about Mediterranean trade during the Early Bronze Age. The wooden hull of the vessel has not survived, but its cargo has provided researchers with significant information about commerce almost five millennia ago.
Divers located more than 30 ceramic vessels, including amphorae, along with three stone anchors at a depth of about 30 metres. Experts believe the find could represent the oldest known wreck of a seagoing ship, though the dating and interpretation rely mainly on the study of the pottery rather than on any surviving wooden parts of the vessel.
Residues inside the jars surprise researchers
Archaeologist Karin Sowada of Macquarie University in Australia, who examined the finds, said she was struck by how much material had been preserved inside some of the vessels. “I looked inside and almost fainted,” she told the BBC, describing residues that extended over a much larger area than she had expected.
Researchers are now analysing the composition of the residue to determine whether it is olive oil, wine, tree resin or another substance. They note the vessels may have been reused more than once, meaning the residues might not come solely from their original contents. The analysis could reveal more about the goods transported by ships of the era and the trade routes linking communities across the eastern Mediterranean.
One amphora stands out for bearing nine distinct marks and two holes in its body. Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, said initial assessments leave open the possibility that the vessel was used as a churn for making butter or cheese. If confirmed, the minister said, this could offer a different picture of daily life for sailors roughly 4,500 to 4,700 years ago, suggesting crews may have processed food during their sea voyages. The use of the vessel, however, has not been definitively established, and further examination is needed.
From the Jordan Valley toward Crete or Troy?
The shape and decoration of the amphorae offer clues to their origin. According to clay analysis, some vessels were likely produced in workshops in the Jordan Valley, in the ancient Near East. Similar ceramic vessels have been found in Egypt, Troy and Crete, reinforcing the view that trade and cultural contacts existed between different regions of the eastern Mediterranean as early as the Early Bronze Age. Researchers consider it possible that the ship departed from a port on the eastern Mediterranean coast, heading toward Troy or Crete, though the exact route has not been confirmed.
Because the wooden hull has decomposed, archaeologists cannot use timber samples for radiocarbon dating. The wreck’s age was estimated mainly by comparing the shape, construction and decoration of the pottery with similar finds of known date. The vessels and stone anchors place the wreck at roughly 2600 to 2400 BC, a period that coincides with the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Three stone anchors and unanswered questions
Archaeologists also found three stone anchors at different points around the wreck site. Two have three holes and one has a single hole, and their form resembles anchors found at Bronze Age archaeological sites in Anatolia, Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean. It has not yet been established whether any of the three anchors actually belonged to this particular ship.
Research at the site continues, with scientists seeking further information about the cargo, origin and final voyage of the vessel. The findings are expected to contribute to understanding early maritime trade networks and the lives of people who sailed the Mediterranean nearly 5,000 years ago. Research on marine finds off Crete’s own coast has produced similar insights elsewhere, including the SEA DIAMOND shipwreck studied by the Technical University of Crete for its environmental impact.
