2,100-Year-Old Shipwreck Off Türkiye Reveals Luxury Cargo Bound For Rome

Archaeologists have recovered thousands of ceramic items from a shipwreck that sank about 2,100 years ago off the coast of Türkiye.

The wreck lies off Adrasan in Antalya province. The cargo includes 122 different types and sizes of plates, bowls and trays.

The plates and bowls are believed to have been made in ancient Rhosus, which is now Arsuz in Hatay province. The tableware was likely being taken to markets including Rome.

The underwater excavation started in 2025. It is taking place at a depth of 42 to 55 metres.

Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the finds show what tableware was used and traded in the Mediterranean at the time.

The main cargo found on the wreck is made up of plates and bowls linked to Rhosus.

Some of the items were used for serving nuts and soup. There are also fish plates and trays in different sizes.

Archaeologists have identified 122 different forms and sizes among the vessels.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry said Rhosus tableware was popular in Rome. It was also traded as luxury tableware in different parts of the Mediterranean.

Amphorae believed to have been made on some Aegean islands were also found at the wreck. This shows that the cargo came from different production areas.

The ceramics from Rhosus are also mentioned in a letter written by Roman statesman and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero.

In a letter to his friend Atticus in 50 B.C., Cicero said he had ordered ceramic vessels from Rhosus for him, according to the ministry.

This shows that ceramics from Rhosus were known in the Roman world. The shipwreck now gives researchers physical evidence of how such goods were moved by sea.

Many of the plates and bowls are still in good condition. Researchers believe this is partly because of the way the cargo was packed.

The ceramic pieces were put inside wooden crates. Clay was placed between the pieces to keep them from hitting each other.

This helped reduce damage when the ship sank. It also helped the ceramics survive underwater for more than 2,000 years.

Ersoy said the finds provide evidence of production in Anatolia and trade across the Mediterranean.

Coins found at the wreck came from Antioch and date to the 1st century B.C. They are helping researchers work out when the ship sank.

The finds point to a trade route linking Antioch, the Aegean, Greece and the Italian coast around the middle of the 1st century B.C.

Researchers believe the ship left Rhosus and was likely heading towards Rome. It is believed to have hit a shallow area during a storm and sank. The wreck is between 42 and 55 metres below the surface.

The underwater excavation is continuing with the help of underwater robots. Archaeologists are studying the ceramics, amphorae, coins and other material recovered from the wreck.

The work began in 2025 and is expected to provide more information about the ship, its cargo and the trade routes it used.

Ersoy thanked the excavation team and others involved in recovering Türkiye’s underwater cultural heritage.

References: turkiyetoday, aa