In 1982, a diver discovered the remains of a Bronze Age ship off the coast of Turkey. The wreck of Uluburun carried copper and tin, in proportions suitable for the manufacture of bronze. But these metals were only part of its exceptional loading.
Excavations also revealed containers, jewelry, raw glass, ivory and ostrich egg shells. Materials and objects from different regions traveled together, towards the end of the 14th century BCE. For archaeologists, this diversity provides concrete testimony to the exchanges between Mediterranean societies.
The study did not consist of raising a treasure in a single dive: eleven campaigns were needed between 1984 and 1994. Anchors and hull fragments count as much as precious objects. The ship does not deliver every step of its route, but its cargo shows how many ancient worlds could already be connected by sea.
What we know
The objects do not establish all the ports of call of the ship.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 21, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
Signaler une erreur ou apporter une précision
