Scientists Determine the Date of the Famous Kyrenia Shipwreck

Scientists have determined the date of the world's oldest shipwreck, the “Kyrenia” ship. The remains of the vessel can be seen in the Shipwreck Museum, located within Kyrenia Castle in the old harbor of Kyrenia.

An international team of researchers, led by scientists from Cornell University, used new technologies to establish the date of the ancient shipwreck discovered in the 1960s off the coast of Cyprus, near Kyrenia.

The famous Kyrenia ship gained renown as the first instance of a Hellenistic-era vessel being found on the seabed with its hull almost completely intact.

Along with the ship, historical treasures were brought to the surface—not gold and jewels, but thousands of almond seeds, which were highly valuable at the time. These almonds, along with the ship's timber, helped scientists accurately determine the date of the shipwreck.

To reconstruct the timeline of events, scientists applied advanced accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating techniques. Previously, information about the shipwreck was based on a few measurements taken in the 1980s and 1990s using older radiocarbon dating technology.

According to the analysis of the almonds and timber, the most likely time of the shipwreck is between 296 and 271 BCE. Further refinement narrowed this period to between 286 and 272 BCE. It was previously believed that the ship was lost between 350 and 250 BCE.

Read also: Kyrenia Castle: What Awaits Travelers Inside?