Thousands of ceramic items have been discovered in a shipwreck dating back approximately 2,100 years during explorations carried out in the territorial waters of the Adrasan region in Türkiye’s Antalya province.
Sea-news.az reports that Minister of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye Mehmet Nuri Ersoy made a statement regarding the discovery.
According to the minister, a large number of plates and bowls were found in the shipwreck. It is reported that the ceramic products remained in good condition over millennia thanks to clay placed between them when packed into wooden crates.
Among the finds, 122 different shapes and sizes of ceramic samples were identified, including snack plates, soup and fish bowls, as well as trays of various sizes.
The ceramic items are believed to have been produced in Rhosus, the ancient name of the Arsuz district in Hatay province. Historical accounts also indicate that these products were well-known in ancient Rome. It is reported that the Roman statesman and orator Cicero ordered ceramic vessels from Rhosus in a letter written to his friend Atticus in 50 BC.
Amphorae thought to have been produced on certain Aegean islands and coins originating from Antioch were also discovered in the wreck. These findings indicate that the ship used a trade route operating between Antioch, the Aegean Sea, and the coasts of Greece and Italy in the mid-1st century BC.
Archaeologists have concluded that the vessel set sail from Arsuz toward Rome and sank during a storm. Archaeological excavations off the coast of Adrasan at a sea depth of 42–55 meters are continuing with the support of underwater robots.
