'Most ancient' shipwreck's cargo discovered 1,800m deep underwater in 'truly sensational find'
Jars were found on the deep sea floor in the Mediterranean
Israel Antiquities Authority
Archaeologists claim they have unearthed the most ancient ship ever found in the deep seas.
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced that a natural gas company’s standard survey of the Eastern Mediterranean floor found the remains of the vessel dating back over 3,000 years.
Researchers believe remains of the ship from the 14th-13th century BCE proves that Late Bronze Age mariners could navigate the seas without a line of sight to the shore using the sun and stars.
The approximately 3,300-year-old ship with a cargo of hundreds of intact amphorae was found 90 kilometres off the northern coast of Israel, at a depth of 1.8 km during a routine oil and gas survey by energy firm Energean.
Jars were found on the deep sea floor in the Mediterranean
Israel Antiquities Authority
Head of the IAA marine unit Jacob Sharvit said: "Only two other shipwrecks with cargo are known from the Late Bronze Age in the Mediterranean Sea…both found off the Turkish coast. Yet both of those shipwrecks were found relatively close to shore.
"There is tremendous potential here for research.
"[This newly discovered] 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 the human hand, nor affected by waves and currents, which do impact shipwrecks in shallower waters."
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The jars were recovered
Israel Antiquities Authority
According to Dr Karnit Bahartan from Energean, robotic undersea cameras spotted what seemed to be a large pile of jugs or amphorae heaped on the seafloor.
Dr Bahartan said: "We are in ongoing contact with the Israel Antiquities Authority, and when we sent them the images it turned out to be a sensational discovery, far beyond what we could imagine."
During the operation, the team confirmed that the ship was 12-14 meters long and was transporting hundreds of vessels. Some were visible above the ocean floor, but the muddy bottom concealed a second layer of amphorae.
Dr Bahartan described their discovery as a "truly sensational find".
Dr Bahartan added: "The academic assumption until now was that trade in that time was executed by safely flitting from port to port, hugging the coastline within eye contact.
"The discovery of this boat now changes our entire understanding of ancient mariner abilities. It is the very first to be found at such a great distance with no line of sight to any landmass."
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