Historic Shipwreck Discovered

Unprecedented discovery: Oldest deep-sea shipwreck uncovered

90 km off Israel's coast and at a depth of 1.8 km, the cargo of a 3,300-year-old ship with hundreds of intact amphorae was discovered.

Shipwreck (Photo: Shutterstock)

Found at an astonishing depth of 1.8 kilometers on the Mediterranean Sea floor, a ship’s cargo from 3,300—3,400 years ago (14th-13th century BCE) contained hundreds of intact storage vessels.

The discovery was made by Energean, a leading E&P natural gas company operating the Karish, Karish North, Katlan, and Tanin offshore fields near Israel, during a routine survey. The Israel Antiquities Authority identified the cargo as Late Bronze Age Canaanite storage vessels.

The head of the Israel Antiquities Authority Marine Unit, Jacob Sharvit, explained: “The ship seems to have sunk in crisis, either due to a storm or to an attempted piracy attack – a well-known occurrence in the Late Bronze Age. This is both the first and the oldest ship found in the Eastern Mediterranean deep sea, ninety kilometers from the nearest shore. This is a world-class history-changing discovery: This find reveals to us, as never before, the ancient mariners’ navigational skills – capable of traversing the Mediterranean Sea without a line of sight to any coast. From this geographical point, only the horizon is visible all around. To navigate they probably used the celestial bodies, by taking sightings and angles of the sun and star positions.”

“The vessel type identified in the cargo was designed as the most efficient means of transporting relatively cheap and mass-produced products such as oil, wine and other agricultural products such as fruit. Finding such a great quantity of amphorae on board one single ship is testimony to significant commercial ties between their country of origin and the ancient Near Eastern lands on the Mediterranean coast,” Sharvit related.

Israel Mediterranean Sea

Comments

Do not send comments that include inflammatory words, defamation and content that exceeds the limit of good taste.

The comment was sent successfully.
Soon the response will be examined by our editors and if it is found to be correct it will be published on the website.
The comment was sent successfully.
Soon the response will be examined by our editors and if it is found to be correct it will be published on the website.


After launching missile barrage at Tel Aviv

Hezbollah threatens Israel: "Beirut's fate is Tel Aviv's fate"
Gila Isaacson | 24.11.24

October 7 failures cause delay in IDF officers' promotions

Katz delays promotion of two IDF officers pending October 7 investigation
1
| Eliana Fleming, JFeed Staff | 24.11.24

Iranian Plot Uncovered: Fake Chabad Invitation Targets Israeli Ministers

Iranian operatives target Israeli ministers with fake chabad Hanukkah invitation
Eliana Fleming, JFeed Staff | 24.11.24

Rabbi's murder shows Anti-Semitism knows no bounds

The Murder of Rav Kogan: "A Stark Reminder of the Cruelty of Israel’s Enemies"
Eliana Fleming, JFeed Staff | 24.11.24

Lebanese spies for Israel arrested amid Hezbollah panic

Hezbollah in panic: The frightened step of the organization's leaders
Eliana Fleming, JFeed Staff | 24.11.24

A hostage a day - Egypts new hostage proposal

One hostage every day: Egypt with a new proposal for a hostage deal
Eliana Fleming | 24.11.24

Gallant blasts ICCs' decision on arrest warrant

Gallant on the arrest warrant against him: "The court's decision will be remembered for eternity"
Eliana Fleming, JFeed Staff | 21.11.24

Netanyahu Rejects Hague Ruling: 'We Will Not Yield to Anti-Israel Pressure'

Netanyahu addresses the arrest warrants: "The court has today become an enemy of humanity"
Eliana Fleming, JFeed Staff | 21.11.24