ONE OF OLDEST KNOWN SHIPWRECKS DISCOVERED

ANKARA, OCTOBER 14 /SRNA/ - Archaeologists say one of the world's oldest shipwrecks has been found off the coast of Kekova in Antalya, Turkiye.

The BBC reported that the remains were scattered across an underwater slope at a depth of around 30 meters. Three large stone anchors and more than 30 ceramic jars, or amphorae, were also found.

Archaeologists believe the wreck is between 4,400 and 4,700 years old, dating to the Early Bronze Age, roughly the same period in which the Great Pyramid was built.

The ship's wooden structure has not survived, but the ceramic jars it carried remained on the seabed, with some still containing traces of their original contents.

Archaeologists said the vessel was about 10 meters long and was a merchant ship used to transport cargo across the Mediterranean.

"The shipwreck is a time capsule on the seabed," said Professor Hakan Oniz of Akdeniz University in Turkiye, who led the expedition.

The previous oldest known shipwreck was found off the island of Dokos in southern Greece and was around 4,200 years old.

The oldest and best-preserved shipwreck with its wooden structure still intact was found in the Black Sea off the coast of Bulgaria and is around 2,400 years old.