1100-Year-Old Olive Seeds Discovered in the Gaza Wreck: A First in Türkiye’s Underwater Archaeology

In the Mediterranean waters off Türkiye, 1100-year-old olive seeds have been discovered in a shipwreck that set sail from the Gaza coast and sank in a storm near Antalya. This exciting find has thrilled scientists, as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakan Öniz and his team uncovered these seeds during underwater excavation work, which had never been encountered in previous underwater excavations along Türkiye’s coasts. The 1100-year-old olive seeds, found in a single amphora, will be exhibited at the Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology Museum.

Dr. Hakan Öniz, the head of the Cultural Heritage Conservation and Restoration Department at Akdeniz University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, stated that they began underwater excavation work at a depth of approximately 45-50 meters off Besmi Island in Kaş district as part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s “Heritage for the Future Project” in 2024.

He explained that they are conducting several underwater excavations within the scope of the underwater archaeology museum project in Kemer district, aiming to carry out scientific research and display the artifacts in this museum. Dr. Öniz emphasized that they can conduct excavation work for 12 months and mentioned that they have initiated a study on the wreck located at Besmi Island in Kaş. He noted that this wreck is known and open to tourism, but due to its depth, it is not accessible to everyone. Dr. Öniz stated, “Our studies focused on the 1100-year-old amphorae dating back to the 9th-10th century AD.”

He explained that they identified the wreck as a ship loaded with olive oil that had set sail from the Gaza coast. “1100 years ago, that region was known for olive production. Unfortunately, when we think of Gaza today, more negative things come to mind, but hopefully, this will improve. The ship we are studying was caught in a storm while transporting olive oil loaded in amphorae from Gaza to an unknown destination. It sank after colliding with a small rock or island. The wreck was quite interesting due to its depth and the cargo it contained. Olive oil and wine were common cargoes in ancient times. However, what came out of one amphora was particularly striking.”

Dr. Öniz emphasized that amphorae from different regions in ancient times had distinct characteristics, and they understood that this wreck was from a ship that had set sail from Palestine based on the typology of the amphorae found inside.

A First in Türkiye

Dr. Öniz expressed his excitement about the findings they encountered in one of the amphorae, stating, “Although their existence was known, we found something we had never seen in amphorae before, and there are only a few examples of this in the world. This is a first in Türkiye.” He mentioned that they used underwater robots to bring the amphorae to the surface. “For the past year, we have started applying underwater excavations with robots that can descend into deep waters. With the help of these robots, we found olives, or rather, olive seeds, in one of the amphorae,” he said.

Recalling that the most important cargoes transported by ships in ancient times were olive oil, wine, and olives, Dr. Öniz noted, “Olives have been an essential food for sailors in the Mediterranean for about 5,000 years since the Bronze Age.” He explained that sailors needed non-perishable food for their months-long journeys, adding, “Olives placed in amphorae can become edible in seawater within a week and can last for months without spoiling. Therefore, they are indispensable food items. We also know that they transported live animals and wheat on ships, which were ground into flour in the ship’s mills to make bread.”

Dr. Öniz emphasized that most underwater research in Türkiye is conducted by Akdeniz University and highlighted that the olive seeds found are the first of their kind encountered along Türkiye’s coasts. He concluded by stating that the findings will be exhibited at the Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology Museum, which the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is laying the foundation for in Kemer.

Cover Photo: Selma Kunar/DHA