3,600-year-old bronze dagger found on Minoan shipwreck

A Minoan bronze dagger with silver rivets has been recovered from a 3,600-year-old shipwreck off the Mediterranean coast of Kumluca, Turkey.

Located at a depth of 50 meters (164 feet), the vessel is the world’s oldest trade shipwreck, and one of the oldest shipwrecks of any kind ever discovered. It was 14 meters (46 feet) long and was carrying 1.5 tons of copper ingots from the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus to Crete when it sank. Underwater archaeologists have been documenting the wreck in situ and retrieving samples since 2019.

Modern survey techniques, including sonar scans, photogrammetry, and photomosaic mapping, have allowed researchers to create detailed three-dimensional models of the bullion. The analysis identified the copper as originating from Cypriot mines, molded in the 15th or 16th centuries BC. Research on this remarkable shipwreck is set to proceed over the next five years.

During their peak around 3,600 years ago, the Cretan-Minoans established themselves as a major maritime force in the eastern Mediterranean, fostering extensive trade networks. These routes linked the Minoans with Egypt, the Levant (modern-day Syria, Lebanon, and Israel), Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), Cyprus, and the Greek mainland.

Renowned for their seafaring skills, the Minoans facilitated a vast exchange of goods, positioning Crete as a pivotal hub in the ancient trade landscape.

Their trade involved a wide range of goods, prominently metals. Copper, crucial for bronze production, was mainly imported from Cyprus, while tin came from far-off regions like modern-day Afghanistan or Cornwall in England. The Minoans exported not just raw metals, but also crafted bronze tools, weapons, and artifacts throughout the Mediterranean.

The objects recovered from this shipwreck and others explored in the area will go on display at the future Underwater Archaeology Museum in Kemer which is currently still in the planning stages.

* This article was originally published here