Ceramic Artifacts Recovered from 2,100-Year-Old Shipwreck off Antalya's Adrasan Coast
Thousands of artifacts have been brought to light from an ancient shipwreck lying at a depth of 42 to 55 meters in Antalya's Kumluca district.
Thousands of ceramic artifacts from a 2,100-year-old shipwreck have been brought to light during underwater excavations carried out off the coast of Adrasan in Antalya's Kumluca district. The artifacts shed light on the trade network of the period.
Historical Heritage in the Depths
The shipwreck carrying a cargo of ceramics, the excavation of which began in 2025 off the coast of Adrasan in Antalya's Kumluca district, sheds light on the dining culture of antiquity and Mediterranean trade. Thousands of artifacts have been recovered so far in the operations conducted between 42 and 55 meters below the sea surface.
Rich Dining Culture
The main cargo of the shipwreck consists of plates and bowls of Antioch origin. Among the artifacts believed to have been produced in Hatay's Arsuz district are nut plates, soup bowls, fish plates, and trays in various sizes. A total of 122 ceramic products in different forms and sizes reflect the rich dining culture of the period.
Vessels Mentioned in Historical Correspondence
One of the details that increases the historical significance of Arsuz ceramics is that they also appear in the correspondence of the Roman orator and statesman Cicero. In a letter written to his friend Atticus in 50 BC, Cicero recounts that he ordered ceramic vessels from Rhosus for him.
Millennia-Long Protection Provided by Clay
Behind the fact that the plates and bowls in the shipwreck have survived to the present day in good condition lies a special method applied during loading. Clay was placed between the ceramics before they were positioned in wooden crates.
Trade Network from Antioch to Italy
Coins of Antioch origin dating to the 1st century BC found on the ship shed light on the dating of the shipwreck. The findings indicate that the ship operated within a trade network between the coasts of Antioch, the Aegean, Greece, and Italy in the mid-1st century BC.