Early Bronze Age shipwreck off Turkey’s Kekova Island may be the world’s oldest

The Titanic, which sank in 1912, is a newborn so far as historic shipwrecks go.Other sunken vessels that have been uncovered include the Queen Anne’s Revenge, an 18th-century warship once manned by Blackbeard, off the coast of North Carolina; and a Gozo Phoenician shipwreck from 700BC near Malta.Another, discovered close to the Greek island Dokos, is believed to be around 4,200 years old – and, until recently, this held the record for the most ancient shipwreck on Earth. But now, experts think it’s been beaten by a 4,400-4,700-year-old discovery in waters off Turkey’s Kekova Island.That would mean this “new” shipwreck sank around the time the Great Pyramids were being built in Egypt.What do we know about the shipwreck? Even though it’s still classed as a “shipwreck”, the ship itself has long gone, its wooden frame having disintegrated. This meant traditional carbon dating wasn’t possible.But what researchers could still see were ancient ceramic storage pots and hulking metal anchors. Looking at the design and handles of the containers helped the team to date the hoard back to the Early Bronze Age, because they looked like similar items found in Egypt and the Middle East about 4,400-4,700 years ago.These lie about 30 metres underwater – in comparison, the Titanic is roughly 3,810 metres deep.Divers were able to retrieve the pots and bring them to the surface to be inspected. They’re now being conserved (amazingly, many still have a visible glossy residue, though researchers are not sure where that comes from). What were the pots carrying? The contents of the containers, their origins, and their destination are part of this new mystery. An archaeologist from Australia’s Macquarie University, Dr Karin Sowada, who examined the pots, said: “It could be olive oil, it could be wine, it could be tree resins.“It’s possible that [the pots’ residue] could actually be the result of reuse of the jars,” rather than something like a varnish, the expert added. “I mean, these jars are huge – they’re not things that you just ship away and then never see again. People would have emptied these jars on arrival and potentially used them for many, many, many years”.It looks like the ship left from the east coast of the Mediterranean and was bound for either the city of Troy or the Minoan people in Crete.Professor Hakan Öniz of Turkey’s Akdeniz University, who led the Mediterranean Archaeology Association discovery, said: “We are the first humans who [have] touched these objects after 5,000 years.“We are always thinking of the sailors... the producers of the amphora and the person who carried the amphora on their shoulders to the ship, and the women who were waiting for their husbands, and they unfortunately couldn’t go back.”Related...Scientists Made A 'Once In A Century' Moon Discovery During A Routine CheckI Just Learned How Ancient Egyptians Took Pregnancy Tests, And I Physically Cannot Stop LaughingThis 3,200-Year-Old Rock Is Filled With Ancient Egyptian Sick Notes, And Some Of Them Are... Interesting

The wreck dates back to the same time the Pyramid of Giza was being built (Picture: Anadolu via Getty Images) The world’s oldest known shipwreck has been discovered off the coast of Turkey. Archaeologists have been left stunned after finding the wreck, which dates back between 4,400 and 4,700 years, placing it in the Early Bronze Age – around the same time the Great Pyramid of Giza was being built. Although the wooden hull has disappeared, ancient storage pots on the wreck have been found containing mysterious traces of their original contents. Researchers believe that the vessel, which was found on the seabed near Kekova Island off Antalya in southern Turkey, was around 10 metres long and used to transport goods across the Mediterranean. ‘The shipwreck is a time capsule at the bottom of the sea,’ said Professor Hakan Öniz of Akdeniz University, who led the expedition by the Mediterranean Archaeology Association. The wreck lies around 30 metres beneath the surface, with artefacts scattered across an underwater slope. Researchers believe that the vessel was around 10 metres long (Picture: Anadolu via Getty Images) A look at the artifacts from the Roman and Byzantine-era shipwreck (Picture: Anadolu via Getty Images) Among the discoveries were three large stone anchors and more than 30 ceramic storage pots, known as amphorae. With no surviving wood available for radiocarbon dating, researchers established the wreck’s age by studying the distinctive shape and design of the pottery. The pots feature two handles, a ridge around the middle and a flat base. Their design matches similar vessels discovered in Egypt and the Middle East that date back between 4,400 and 4,700 years. ‘Comparing the decoration techniques … we can definitely say our wreck is Early Bronze Age. This is 100%,’ Professor Öniz said. Divers brought the pots to the surface, where experts are now carefully conserving them after thousands of years underwater. But one discovery has left researchers particularly astonished: some of the vessels still contain a thick, glossy residue. Dr Karin Sowada, an archaeologist from Macquarie University in Australia, examined the pots after they were recovered. The ship was found on the seabed near Kekova Island off Antalya in southern Turkey (Picture: Anadolu via Getty Images) The wreck lies around 30 metres beneath the surface (Picture: Anadolu via Getty Images) ‘I looked inside and nearly fainted. I could not believe how much [residue] was visible,’ she said. ‘It wasn’t just like spots … a lot of this material was still remaining.’ Scientists are now trying to establish what the residue is, with olive oil, wine and tree resins among the possibilities. However, Dr Sowada warned that the contents might not be what was originally transported. The pots could have been emptied and reused over many years, meaning the residue might have come from a later use. ‘These jars are huge – they’re not things that you just ship away and then never see again,’ she said. ‘People would have emptied these jars on arrival and potentially used them for many, many, many years.’ The discovery could also offer a rare glimpse into trading networks during the Early Bronze Age. Researchers believe the ship began its journey somewhere along the eastern Mediterranean coast and may have been heading towards the ancient city of Troy, in what is now north-western Turkey, or the Minoan civilisation on Crete. Sailing around Kekova Island was dangerous, with powerful currents and winds responsible for numerous shipwrecks over the centuries. Hundreds of wrecks have been found in the surrounding area. For Professor Öniz, the discovery is also a chance to connect with the people behind the ancient voyage. ‘We are the first humans who [have] touched these objects after 5,000 years,’ he said. He added that he often thinks about the sailors, the people who made the pots and those who carried them aboard – as well as the families who may have waited in vain for the crew to return. The find overtakes a wreck off the Greek island of Dokos, previously considered the world’s oldest known shipwreck, which dates back around 4,200 years. It is different from the oldest known shipwreck with some of its wooden structure still preserved, found in the Black Sea off Bulgaria. That vessel dates back around 2,400 years. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Early Bronze Age vessel was likely built around the same time as the Great Pyramid of Giza

Archaeologists say a 4,400- to 4,700-year-old shipwreck found near Kekova Island in southern Turkey carried ceramic storage pots and stone anchors across the Mediterranean.

Archaeologists say a 4,400- to 4,700-year-old shipwreck found near Kekova Island in southern Turkey carried ceramic storage pots and stone anchors across the Mediterranean.

Archaeologists say the wreck is up to 4,700 years old, dating to the Early Bronze Age.