The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Thursday that the company uncovered the earliest known deep-sea shipwreck: a Canaanite merchant vessel that sank between 3,400 and 3,300 years ago. Using a specially equipped robot, Energean retrieved samples from the site.
The wreck, located nearly two kilometers (1.2 miles) deep and 90 kilometers off the Palestinian-Israeli coast, was found about a year ago. This unprecedented discovery raises questions about the navigational capabilities of ancient civilizations, suggesting either an accidental journey far from the coast or advanced seafaring skills previously unrecognized.
While many shipwrecks have been found on the seafloor, this is the earliest one from such a depth. Until now, it was uncertain whether ancient Mediterranean peoples deliberately ventured into the open sea or stayed close to the coastlines.
Jacob Sharvit, head of the IAA Marine Unit, noted that the ship seemed to have sunk suddenly, as evidenced by the intact arrangement of hundreds of pottery jars. The ship likely went down intact, descending to a depth of 1.8 kilometers (5,900 feet), where it remained undisturbed until Energean's sonar survey detected the anomaly.
A robot submersible confirmed the presence of ancient jars peeking through the sediment. The sudden sinking could have been caused by pirates or a structural failure, such as a leak in the bitumen sealing the wooden planks. "Whatever happened, it seems to have happened fast," Sharvit said, noting the absence of any attempts by the crew to lighten the vessel.
Initial identification of the ship as Canaanite was based on robot photographs. After months of planning, Energean deployed an ROV to recover two of the ancient pots about two weeks ago.
British company Energean is developing several Israeli fields, including Tanin ("crocodile") and Karish ("shark"), and fields for Egypt and other regions. The Orca field, off the Haifa coast, was being surveyed when the discovery was made.
Energean public affairs officer Eliana Fischler explained that their advanced submersible robot conducts thorough seabed surveys as part of their natural gas extraction activities. Dr. Karnit Bahartan, head of Energean's environmental unit, noted that they reported the anomaly to the Environment Ministry, Energy Ministry, and IAA as required by Israeli regulations.
Energean forwarded photos of the jars to Jacob Sharvit, who recognized their significance as Bronze Age artifacts. "I almost fell off my chair," he said, realizing the importance of the discovery.
The IAA then collaborated with Energean for a second ROV mission to extract samples from the site. Sharvit mentioned that the IAA does not possess a deep-sea submarine capable of reaching such depths and relied on Energean's technology to avoid risking human lives.
This remarkable find not only sheds light on ancient maritime history but also highlights the intersection of modern technology and archaeological discovery.