A 3,600-year-old bronze dagger has been found by archaeological divers excavating the wreck of an ancient vessel off the coast of Kumluca, in the Antalya province of the Republic of Türkiye.
The 18cm (7″)-long dagger, which was fitted with silver rivets, was found at a depth of approximately 50 metres, and is thought to date back to the ancient Minoan civilisation.
The Minoans – who are believed to be Europe’s first advanced civilisation – were a Bronze Age society that occupied the island of Crete between 2700 to 1420 BC.
The culture is famous for its substantive architecture and imaginative and often fantastical art, which covered many different disciplines from huge frescoes to pottery, sculptures, jewellery and intricate metalwork, as well as finely crafted weaponry.
Akdeniz’in derinliklerinden 3 bin 600 yıllık sır gün ışığına kavuştu. 🗡️
— Mehmet Nuri Ersoy (@MehmetNuriErsoy) August 29, 2024
Antalya’nın Kumluca ilçesi açıklarında gerçekleştirilen su altı kazılarında Girit-Minos uygarlığına ait gümüş perçinli bir tunç hançer bulundu.
✨Batık, sadece Türkiye’nin değil, dünya su altı… pic.twitter.com/bgTHiJZop9
The Minoans were also skilled mariners, and traded with other important cultures of the time, including Egypt, Greece, Cyprus and Syria. Their influence is thought to have extended eastwards into Asia Minor and as far west as the Iberian peninsula – modern-day Spain and Portugal.
Described as ‘one of the most remarkable underwater archaeological discoveries in [Türkiye’s] recent history’, the dagger was retrieved during an ongoing project to excavate the shipwreck that began in July 2019, under the leadership of Associate Professor Dr Hakan Öniz, Head of Excavation for the Department of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Assets at Akdeniz University.
The ship, which was believed to have been en route to Crete when it sank during a storm, was carrying copper ingots – vital for the manufacture of bronze – from the Troodos mountains in Cyprus.
Extensive surveys of the wreck site, including sonar scans and photogrammetry have dated the ingots to between 1500 and 1600 BC.
Akdeniz’in derinliklerinden 3 bin 600 yıllık sır gün ışığına kavuştu. 🗡️
— Mehmet Nuri Ersoy (@MehmetNuriErsoy) August 29, 2024
Antalya’nın Kumluca ilçesi açıklarında gerçekleştirilen su altı kazılarında Girit-Minos uygarlığına ait gümüş perçinli bir tunç hançer bulundu.
✨Batık, sadece Türkiye’nin değil, dünya su altı… pic.twitter.com/bgTHiJZop9
Türkiye’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, shared the discovery on X, saying that the wreck may be one of the ‘most important discoveries not only in Türkiye but in the world of underwater archaeology.’
Research into the wreck is expected to continue for at least another five years, with the scientists hopeful they will be able to uncover more historical treasures from the site.
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