Researchers have discovered a 14-meter Bronze Age shipwreck off the coast of Antalya, Turkey, carrying 1.5 tons of copper ingots. Dated to approximately 1600 B.C., the vessel is identified by officials as the oldest known commercial trade ship ever found.
Researchers Unearth the Oldest Known Commercial Trade Ship Off Antalya
Deep beneath the waters of the western Antalya coast, marine archaeologists have uncovered a foundational find for underwater archaeology. Antalya Münir Karaloğlu announced the discovery of the 3,600-year-old vessel alongside key members of the research team, including Akdeniz University Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Ünal, Sualtı Araştırma Merkezi Director Doç. Dr. Hakan Öniz, and underwater director Tahsin Ceylan, during a briefing at the Kaleiçi Yat Limanı marina.
Su altı arkeolojisi bakımından çığır açacak yeni bir keşif.
Antalya Valisi Münir Karaloğlu, Gov
The vessel rests at a depth of 50 meters, according to official local administration records. While other reports place certain findings at roughly 30 meters depth near Kekova Island, the overarching project scope covers a five-year investigation led by Akdeniz University with international specialists.
Copper Ingots and Ceramic Amphorae Trace an Ancient Mediterranean Route
The ship’s primary cargo consists of 1.5 tons of raw copper ingots. According to Doç. Dr. Hakan Öniz, the vessel likely sailed from Cyprus toward the Aegean Sea before encountering a storm that sank it. The typology of the metal cargo dates the wreck to the 16th century B.C.
Researchers analyzing the site have recovered over 30 ceramic storage jars, or amphorae, characterized by two handles, middle protrusions, and flat bases. These stylistic markers match Early Bronze Age pottery previously uncovered in Egypt and the Middle East. Macquaire University archaeologist Dr. Karin Sowada noted that intense, glossy residues remain inside some of the recovered vessels, though further analysis is required to determine whether the jars originally contained olive oil, wine, or tree resin.
Plans for a New Museum in Kemer Follow Site Protection
Authorities have kept the exact coordinates of the shipwreck confidential to prevent looting by unauthorized divers. The treacherous coastal currents and rough weather that historically plagued the region have helped preserve the site over millennia, though those same conditions complicate ongoing dive operations.
With excavation work planned under the permits of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s General Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums, regional officials are preparing a permanent home for the artifacts. A project has already been submitted to the Ministry to establish a dedicated Mediterranean underwater archaeology museum in Kemer, which would house and conserve the items recovered from the newly found wreck alongside other regional discoveries.