ANTALYA, Türkiye

The Kumluca Middle Bronze Age Shipwreck, believed to be one of the world's oldest known shipwrecks, has been yielding significant finds for underwater archaeology.

A team of 40 experts, led by professor Hakan Oniz, is conducting underwater excavations off the Antalya coast of Türkiye. Using advanced technology and robots, they have recovered 30 copper ingots, amphoras and personal belongings of sailors from the ship.

Underwater archaeologists, equipped with air tubes, painstakingly retrieved artifacts from a shipwreck that sank 3,600 years ago at a depth of approximately 50 meters (164 feet).

Some items take a month to extract, utilizing small tools and vacuum devices.

The finds, particularly the copper ingots representing the currency of the time, highlight Turkey's rich cultural heritage, including its role in early history, epic tales, maritime trade and shipbuilding.

“This ship, which was probably loaded with copper from mines in Cyprus, sank during a storm on its way to the island of Crete,” Oniz told Anadolu.

“This happened approximately 3,550 to 3,600 years ago. In this context, the Kumluca Middle Bronze Age Shipwreck still holds the title of the world's oldest trade shipwreck," Oniz added.

All recovered items undergo a salt removal process at the Antalya Restoration and Conservation Regional Laboratory. The ongoing work in one of the world's oldest shipwrecks, at great depths, underscores Türkiye’s prominence in the field of underwater archaeology.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul