World’s oldest shipwreck discovered off Turkey’s Mediterranean coast

Updated: 14/10/2026 - 10:22 GMT+2

Archaeologists have discovered what they describe as the world’s oldest shipwreck off Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, near Kekova Island in Antalya. Researchers estimate the wreck is between 4,400 and 4,700 years old, based on the pottery’s distinctive shape and decoration.

Although the ship’s wooden structure has not survived, more than 30 ceramic storage pots and three stone anchors remain scattered across the seabed, about 30 metres underwater. Researchers dated the wreck by analysing the distinctive shape and decoration of the pottery.

The recovered artefacts are now undergoing conservation.