Turkish archaeologists have discovered a Bronze Age shipwreck carrying amphorae up to 4,700 years old off the coast of Kekova Island.

Turkish archaeologists have discovered, during an underwater expedition near Kekova Island in Antalya province, the wreck of a merchant ship dating back 4,400–4,700 years. The ship is believed to have sunk in the Early Bronze Age, approximately during the period when Egypt’s Great Pyramid was being built.

The wreck lies just 30 meters beneath the surface of the Mediterranean Sea, while the transported objects are scattered along an underwater slope. The wooden structure has not survived, but researchers identified three large stone anchors and more than 30 ceramic storage vessels, known as amphorae. Some of them still contain traces of the cargo they carried.

In the absence of wood, specialists were unable to use radiocarbon dating. The age was determined by analyzing the shapes and decorative techniques of the amphorae, which are characteristic of the Early Bronze Age. Professor Hakan Öniz, who led the expedition, described the wreck as a “time capsule.” Researchers are now trying to determine whether the cargo consisted of olive oil, wine or resins.