Offshore Survey Mission Stumbles Upon Oldest Ship Ever Found in Deep Waters

Jerusalem, 20 June, 2024 (TPS) -- A 3,300-year-old ship’s cargo containing hundreds of intact jugs was uncovered 90 kilometers off the coast of northern Israel at a staggering depth of 1.8 kilometers on the Mediterranean Sea floor, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Thursday. This find marks the oldest ship ever found in the world’s deep seas and provides the first concrete evidence of ancient sailors’ ability to navigate vast distances without sight of land.

The discovery was made during a routine seafloor survey conducted by Energean, a British-Greek natural gas exploration and production company operating in the East Mediterranean. The Antiquities Authority identified the contents of the cargo as Late Bronze Age Canaanite storage vessels, dating back to the 14th to 13th centuries BCE.

“The ship seems to have sunk in crisis, either due to a storm or an attempted piracy attack – both common occurrences in the Late Bronze Age. This is the first and the oldest ship found in the Eastern Mediterranean deep sea, 90 kilometers from the nearest shore. It reveals ancient mariners’ navigational skills, who likely relied on celestial bodies to traverse the Mediterranean without a line of sight to any coast,” said Jacob Sharvit, head of the Antiquities Authority’s marine unit.

Energean workers surveying the area in 2023 spotted what appeared to be a large pile of jugs on the seafloor and contacted the Antiquities Authority.

“We contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the images revealed a sensational discovery. Energean dedicated a team to work with IAA experts to closely investigate the site, using our ‘Energean Star’ ship equipped for deep-sea work,” said Dr. Karnit Bahartan, Environmental Lead at Energean, said.

Further survey and mapping revealed a sunken ship approximately 12-14 meters long, transporting hundreds of vessels. The muddy seafloor concealed a second layer of vessels and wooden beams of the ship. In a meticulous operation, Energean’s team extracted two vessels from different parts of the ship to minimize disturbance to the cargo.

In ancient times, the jugs, known as amphorae, had a characteristic shape featuring two handles, a narrow neck, and a pointed or rounded base that could be inserted into soft ground to stand upright.

“The amphorae were designed to transport mass-produced goods such as oil, wine, and agricultural products. Finding such a large quantity on one ship testifies to significant commercial ties between their country of origin and the ancient Near Eastern lands on the Mediterranean coast,” Sharvit said.

“This is a truly sensational find. Only two other shipwrecks with cargo from the Late Bronze Age are known in the Mediterranean Sea – the Cape Gelidonya and Uluburun boats, both near the Turkish coast and accessible with normal diving equipment. Until now, it was assumed that ancient trade was conducted by hugging the coastline within sight of land. This discovery changes our understanding of ancient mariner abilities, showing they could navigate vast distances without sight of land.”