BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Two-Thousand-Year-Old Shipwreck Discovered Off Turkish Coast

Ancient wreck sheds light on shipping logistics

Examining the shipwreck off the coast of Adrasan. Courtesy Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Turkey.

Off the southwestern coast of Turkey, archaeologists made a stunning discovery: a 2,000-year-old shipwreck with its cargo still packed neatly where it had been stored for the voyage. Although many shipwrecks have been discovered in the Mediterranean, this wreck could rewrite our understanding of ancient shipping practices and logistics.

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Shipping Across the Sea

Dating to the first century BCE, the ship contained hundreds of well-preserved ceramics, including plates, bowls, and amphorae. Despite the shipwreck and the passage of time, the ceramics were found in the same orderly rows in which they were packed 2,000 years ago.

As reported by the Greek Reporter, each piece of pottery was encased in an unbaked layer of clay, which formed a protective coating and helped preserve their delicate patterns and colors. Although examples of this storage technique are known from other sites, it has never been discovered on such a large scale. This may provide new insight into the logistics of ancient shipping, revealing how some fragile items were transported without risk of damage during the perilous voyage. According to Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, “This is an extremely valuable discovery not only for our country but also for the world’s cultural heritage.”

A collection of ceramic finds from the Adrasan shipwreck. Courtesy Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Turkey.

The shipwreck was found 130 feet below the surface, off the coast of Adrasan in Turkey. However, this ship is just one of many such wrecks discovered over the decades and serves as a prime example of the importance of the eastern Mediterranean as a shipping corridor during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Due in part to the vast wealth of undersea shipwrecks discovered in Turkey’s waters, the country is currently building a new Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology Museum in Idyros, Turkey. Items from this and many other wrecks are expected to be exhibited at the museum upon its completion.

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