Last summer, an oil and gas company conducting a survey in the Mediterranean Sea stumbled upon a remarkable discovery: the 3,300-year-old remains of a Bronze Age ship carrying dozens of clay jars. In a joint operation with the Israel Antiquities Authority, the company’s ship took images of the wreckage on the seafloor and brought two of the jars to the surface. Now, researchers have determined that the shipwreck is the oldest ever found in the deep sea — and it’s shedding new light on one of the most enigmatic periods of human history.
Discovering The Oldest Shipwreck In The Mediterranean Sea
The London-based company Energean was conducting surveys more than 50 miles off the coast of northern Israel in 2023 when the cameras on their remotely operated vehicle picked up an odd sight more than a mile below the surface: a large pile of clay jars. A vessel belonging to the natural gas company Energean discovered the Bronze Age shipwreck on the seafloor. The company alerted the Israel Antiquities Authority, and officials teamed up with Energean to capture more photos and pull two of the jars out of the water. They determined that the artifacts were cargo on a vessel that measured between 39 and 46 feet long and was half buried in the sand on the seafloor. Analysis of the jars determined that they were Canaanite amphorae — which meant the ship that was carrying them likely sank between 1400 and 1300 B.C.E. This makes the discovery the oldest shipwreck ever discovered in the deep sea. Jacob Sharvit, the director of maritime archaeology for the Israel Antiquities Authority, told The New York Times, “The ship is preserved at such a great depth that time has frozen since the moment of disaster. Its body and contents have not been disturbed by human hands nor affected by waves and currents that impact shipwrecks in shallow waters.”
The Importance Of The Bronze Age Shipwreck
Only two other shipwrecks from the late Bronze Age have ever been found in the Mediterranean Sea, and both of them were discovered close to the coast. This is the first that has ever been uncovered in the deep sea, and it’s providing new insight into how ancient mariners traveled. An official from the Israel Antiquities Authority looks at photos of the oldest shipwreck. Shockingly, however, the amphorae weren’t the most exciting part of the discovery.
The Importance Of The Bronze Age Shipwreck
Only two other shipwrecks from the late Bronze Age have ever been found in the Mediterranean Sea, and both of them were discovered close to the coast. This is the first that has ever been uncovered in the deep sea, and it’s providing new insight into how ancient mariners traveled. An official from the Israel Antiquities Authority looks at photos of the oldest shipwreck. Shockingly, however, the amphorae weren’t the most exciting part of the discovery.
The Importance Of The Bronze Age Shipwreck
Only two other shipwrecks from the late Bronze Age have ever been found in the Mediterranean Sea, and both of them were discovered close to the coast. This is the first that has ever been uncovered in the deep sea, and it’s providing new insight into how ancient mariners traveled. An official from the Israel Antiquities Authority looks at photos of the oldest shipwreck. Shockingly, however, the amphorae weren’t the most exciting part of the discovery.
The Importance Of The Bronze Age Shipwreck
Only two other shipwrecks from the late Bronze Age have ever been found in the Mediterranean Sea, and both of them were discovered close to the coast. This is the first that has ever been uncovered in the deep sea, and it’s providing new insight into how ancient mariners traveled. An official from the Israel Antiquities Authority looks at photos of the oldest shipwreck. Shockingly, however, the amphorae weren’t the most exciting part of the discovery.
The Importance Of The Bronze Age Shipwreck
Only two other shipwrecks from the late Bronze Age have ever been found in the Mediterranean Sea, and both of them were discovered close to the coast. This is the first that has ever been uncovered in the deep sea, and it’s providing new insight into how ancient mariners traveled. An official from the Israel Antiquities Authority looks at photos of the oldest shipwreck. Shockingly, however, the amphorae weren’t the most exciting part of the discovery.
The Importance Of The Bronze Age Shipwreck
Only two other shipwrecks from the late Bronze Age have ever been found in the Mediterranean Sea, and both of them were discovered close to the coast. This is the first that has ever been uncovered in the deep sea, and it’s providing new insight into how ancient mariners traveled
