A shipwreck off Kekova in southern Türkiye may date to between 2700 and 2400 BCE. Researchers proposed the preliminary dating after examining its surviving cargo. Team member Karin Sowada, an archaeologist at Macquarie University, outlined the findings.
The site was discovered in 2024. The ship’s wooden hull has not survived, but pottery vessels remain on the seabed. Their shapes and manufacturing techniques helped the researchers estimate the wreck’s age.
Some vessels still contain residues. Scientists have yet to establish what the ship carried. Olive oil, wine and tree resin are among the possibilities, but the analyses are not yet complete.
If the dating is confirmed, the find could be the oldest known shipwreck. Researchers acknowledge that its age may be revised. The new dating results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
