Bronze age shipwreck discovered off Southern Turkey

This is not so much news about ancient Hellas,  but more about the fact that we can't boast anymore that the oldest shipwreck found was ancient Hellenic. A team of Turkish underwater researchers last week have discovered what they believe is the world’s oldest shipwreck from 1600 B.C (3600 years ago).

According to the Provincial Governor’s Office, the 3,600-year-old Bronze Age shipwreck was found off the shores of the Antalya province in southern Turkey. Members of the Antalya University’s Underwater Research Department discovered the 14-meter-long (or 46 feet) merchant ship with 1.5 tons of copper bullion inside.

The researchers took three-dimensional scans of the bullion on the ship by using sonar surveys, photo-scans, and photographic mosaic. They were able to determine that the bullion were taken from mines in Cyprus, and then molded in the 15th or 16th centuries B.C. before being put on the ship to transport them either to the Aegean region or the island of Crete. The ship didn’t make its destination as it sank from what they believe was a storm.

Last year, the remains of a Greek merchant ship was discovered off of Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. The shipwreck was from over 2,400 years ago and was said to be the world’s oldest known intact shipwreck…until now.