Underwater archaeologists discovered a Bronze Age shipwreck loaded with copper ingots off Turkey’s coast
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Reported by Archaeology News:
Underwater archaeologists from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń have discovered what may be the earliest known instance of a vessel transporting copper ingots, located just off the coast of Turkey.
The wreck, dating back to the Bronze Age, challenges conventional notions of shipwrecks, as it lacks typical structural remains but instead reveals a cargo hold filled with copper bars resting on the seabed.
Dr. Andrzej Pydyn, a professor at the Center for Underwater Archaeology at the University of Toruń, explains, “In reality, at least until today, we haven’t come across a single piece of wood from which the ship was built, nor have we found any anchors, which I believe should exist.”
The vessel, likely en route from the Bay of Antalya to destinations in the Aegean Sea or Cyprus, met its tragic end, possibly pushed against rocks during a storm, causing a rapid sinking. The heavy cargo of copper bars slid down a steep underwater slope, scattering across depths ranging from 35 to over 50 meters.
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