World’s oldest shipwreck found off coast of Turkiye

What the report says

Turkiye’s culture ministry says underwater excavations off Kekova Island in Antalya province have uncovered what it is calling the “world’s oldest shipwreck,” with artifacts dated to about 4,700 years ago, in the Early Bronze Age. The find was announced by Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy in a post on X and reported by Al Jazeera on October 14, 2026.

According to the ministry, archaeologists recovered ceramic storage jars even though the ship’s wooden hull did not survive. The vessels are thought to have carried olive oil or wine and are being used as evidence of early maritime trade across the eastern Mediterranean. The excavation was led by Hakan Oniz, an archaeology professor at Akdeniz University, and was part of a project launched earlier this year.

Al Jazeera reported that clay analysis linked the jars to workshops in the Jordan Valley, with forms similar to containers previously found in Egypt, Turkiye and Greece. One vessel had unusual markings and holes that researchers said may indicate use for churning dairy products. Investigators believe the ship may have been traveling from the Levant toward modern-day Hisarlik in Turkiye or Crete when it sank.

If confirmed by further study, the discovery would add to knowledge of Bronze Age sea routes and commercial links along Anatolia’s coast, though the article’s claims are based on ministry statements and the excavation team’s interpretation.