The find allows maritime experts to visualize the disaster and the conditions faced by the sailors and captain, according to underwater archaeology professor Hakan Oniz. The cargo of the oldest known wreck provides a rare glimpse into the networks of trade and navigation used by seafarers in the eastern Mediterranean millennia ago.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Turkey's 4,700 Year Old Wreck Becomes World's Oldest Shipwreck
World6 days ago
Ancient pottery was recovered during a dive in the Mediterranean that provides new information on how early civilizations conducted commerce. Researchers found more than 30 ceramic vessels among ruins off the coast of Turkey, using the shapes of the pottery to date the shipwreck to roughly 4,700 years ago, the oldest ever identified. While the wooden hull did not survive, one cargo vessel featuring mysterious symbols suggests insights into ancient beliefs, and experts believe the crew was sailing toward Troy or Crete before sinking due to opposing winds and currents.
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