In 2024, Hakan Öniz found a shipwreck near Kekova, Turkey. Local sailors gave him clues about the place. The wreck lies in shallow water between two islands. Researchers think it may be the oldest shipwreck in the world.
The team puts its age at about 4,500 years. Their first dates are around 2700–2400 BCE, but these dates may change. Before this find, a wreck near Dokos, Greece, held the oldest known place. That wreck is about 4,200 years old.
The wooden ship is gone, but many pots remain under the sea. The team studies their shapes and how people made them to work out their age. The ship carried large pots for keeping goods. These pots had two handles, and many had a raised band around the middle.
Some material from the goods is still inside the pots. It may be olive oil, wine, or material from trees called resin. The ship traveled along Turkey’s southern coast, but its direction is not known. Its goods may help researchers understand early trade across the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
