15 Shipwrecks Unearthed in Mediterranean Sea

In the Mediterranean, experts in underwater archaeology have big news. They’ve identified 15 new shipwrecks near the coasts of Antalya and Mersin in Turkey. This exciting discovery has bumped up the total count of wrecks in that area to 350.

Antalya and Mersin have a lot of spots where you can go diving, and there are about 222 of them known thus far. Some of those diving spots have shipwrecks that are especially ancient from thousands of years ago. These shipwrecks are almost like time machines, helping historians learn more about the past.

Details of the discovery

A group of twenty researchers from twelve different countries has uncovered these fifteen shipwrecks. This discovery is expected to help us learn more about the way people traded, lived, and made money during that time.

One of the researchers, Hakan Oniz, who specializes in underwater archaeology, said, “These wrecks possess the characteristic of a time capsule. If we discover a shipwreck dating back to BC, we can understand how amphorae were produced and what ship technologies existed through the artifacts found inside.”

He also said, “Each wreck is like a book. Last year, the count of wrecks was 335, and with the recent discovery of 15 more, it has reached 350.”

Inside look at the Mediterranean sea shipwrecks

During the first look inside a few of the recently found shipwrecks, Oniz pointed out that nothing particularly noteworthy was found in them. Researchers believe these ships likely sank due to storms after unloading their cargo.

Archaeologists have revealed the location of these wrecks to the Culture and Tourism Ministry so they can be protected from new construction or other damage, as they serve as significant pieces of history.

Only recently, archaeologists pulled out thirty big pieces of copper from a shipwreck called the Kumluca Middle Bronze Age Shipwreck. This ship sank because of a storm about 3,600 years ago, making it the oldest shipwreck in the world. Each of these copper pieces weighs twenty-five kilograms.

Türkiye's 3600 year old 'Shipwreck' reveals ancient treasures :

Divers are photographed along Kumluca Middle Bronze Age shipwreck, believed to be one of the world’s oldest known shipwrecks; discovered in Antalya off Türkiye’s southern coast, has yielded significant findings for… pic.twitter.com/lAn1n747er

— Archaeo – Histories (@archeohistories) October 9, 2023

Research with the help of robots

Robots assisted in the research by going down about three hundred meters deep into the water. The study took two months to complete, according to Oniz. He also mentioned that the findings suggest this ship was heading to a port in the West. It was carrying the copper pieces that came from the mines on the island of Cyprus. Sadly, it went down as a result of a storm.

“This is the world’s oldest trade shipwreck,” it was revealed. “When we examine the artifacts inside the ship, we gain insights into the trade of that era. The copper ingots were used as a form of currency in its time. The Kingdom of Cyprus or the Assyrians paid their taxes with copper ingots. The primary purpose was to melt them down again and transform them into sculptures, weapons, pottery and other products. They have an average weight of 25 kilograms and are 45 centimeters long.”

Experts also discovered parts of an amphora and personal items belonging to the crew of the ship.