‘World’s oldest’ shipwreck uncovered in Turkish waters

KEKOVA ISLAND, Turkey (CBS, KYMA) - Archeologists uncovered the "world's oldest" shipwreck as they recently dove into Turkish waters off of Kekova Island.

According to Turkey's Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet, Nuri Ersoy, the shipwreck dates back 4,700 years, during the Early Bronze Age, making it about as old as the Pyramids of Egypt.

"Believed to have been used for transporting olive oil or wine, these vessels bear significant traces of trade and intercultural interactions in the Eastern Mediterranean," the minister said. "Among the finds, one amphora stands out, featuring nine different markings and two holes in its body. Thought to have possibly been used as a churn in cheese or butter production, this vessel offers clues that sailors may have produced their own food during long voyages."

The expedition was led by Akdeniz University Professor Hakan Oniz, and follows the 2024 discovery of the wreck by Akdeniz University research teams.

The 10-meter shipwreck "is a time capsule at the bottom of the sea," Oniz told the BBC.