Preliminary Report on the Early Bronze Age Shipwreck in the Kekova Region of Antalya
摘要
In 2024, Akdeniz University conducted a study of the Kekova region in the Demre district of Antalya, during which a shipwreck carrying Early Bronze Age amphorae was documented. The visible cargo comprises around amphorae, some of which are broken. Further remains of the shipwreck are likely to be uncovered during planned excavations at present and deeper points on the partially sandy, partially rocky seabed in 2026. The amphorae found in the wreck are generally similar to Early Bronze Age Levantine types, featuring side handles and flat bases. Following a detailed analysis of the wreck using orthophotography, two amphorae were recovered for close examination: one in 2024 and one in 2025. The technical characteristics, clay composition, and intended uses of the recovered amphorae vary. To date, no other amphora of this type has been found at the wreck site. The other amphora has characteristics similar to amphorae used commercially for transporting agricultural products such as wine, olive oil and possible others. The upper part of this amphora features two parallel lines made with a pointed tool, as well as a zigzag pattern in the middle. While the general form of the other amphorae that have not yet been recovered is similar, they are not exactly the same in terms of their technical and decorative functions. Two three-holed stone anchors and one single-holed stone anchor were found at different distances around the wreck. It is not yet known which, if any, of these anchors belong to the wreck. The three-holed stone anchors found in the wreck area resemble those seen in Bronze Age Minoan, Cypriot, Anatolian, and Levantine contexts, while the single-holed stone anchor resembles those seen on the Bronze Age Anatolian and Levantine coasts. Current information suggests that the shipwreck is from a small vessel that sank while sailing east to west during the Early Bronze Age.