The ship likely sank between 1400 and 1300 B.C.E., and it's providing new insight into how ancient mariners traveled.
Israel Antiquities Authority/FacebookCameras on a remotely operated vehicle captured these images of a large pile of clay jars a mile below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea.
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.
Israel Antiquities Authority/FacebookA 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.”
Israel Antiquities Authority/FacebookResearchers study the two Canaanite amphorae pulled from the 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.
Israel Antiquities Authority/FacebookAn official from the Israel Antiquities Authority looks at photos of the oldest shipwreck.
Previously, scholars believed that ships from the period closely followed coastlines while sailing from port to port. However, this vessel sank 56 miles from the nearest coast.
Dr. Karnit Bahartan, Energean’s environmental lead, told the BBC that the discovery of the wreckage proves that Bronze Age mariners were capable of navigating the seas without seeing the shore.
“The discovery of this boat now changes our entire understanding of ancient mariner abilities,” Bahartan said. “It is the very first to be found at such a great distance with no line of sight to any landmass.”
Israel Antiquities Authority/FacebookA closer look at the two amphorae.
Sharvit added, “This find reveals to us as never before the ancient mariners’ navigational skills… From this geographical point, only the horizon is visible all around. To navigate they probably used the celestial bodies, taking sightings and angles of the Sun and star positions.”
So, what happened to this Bronze Age vessel? The Israel Antiquities Authority postulates that the ship may have fallen victim to a bad storm or even piracy.
Researchers plan to study the wreckage further, but for now, the two amphorae pulled from the depths will go on display in Jerusalem so the general public can experience this revolutionary piece of ancient history.
After reading about the oldest shipwreck ever discovered in the deep sea, dive into the true story of the Sea Peoples, the mysterious group who brought an end to the Bronze Age. Then, read about nine famous shipwrecks and the stories behind them.
