The civilizations of the ancient world were connected by seas and rivers, and the history of navigation may be much older than people think. The Dokos shipwreck is valuable evidence of this conjecture, dating back to the ancient Greek period between 2700 BC and 2200 BC. The discovery of this ancient shipwreck has revealed many secrets for us.
Dokos
USS Dokos
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A shipwreck of Dokos that has been dormant for centuries
The wreck of the Dokos shipwreck was discovered in 1975 on the Greek island of Dokos in the Aegean Sea.
Aegean Island of Dokos
After initial investigations, it soon became clear that the Dokos wreck was one of the oldest in the world. The wreck is located between 15 and 30 meters, and due to its age, the wreckage is gone, and anything biodegradable has long since disappeared and merged into the water. Goods that were once loaded on ships, such as vases and porcelain, were scattered on the seabed of the area.
Dorcos shipwreck Dokos shipwreck
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Why sunk
One of the first shipwrecks excavated in Greece, the Dokos wreck was a common merchant ship that carried a lot of common furniture, mostly ceramics and clay products. During excavations, more than 15,000 pieces of pottery and complete artifacts were unearthed at the site. There are a large number of jars, baking sheets, braziers, pots, amphoras, bottles, cups, kitchenware, urns and daily necessities.
Stone anchor in a Dokos shipwreck
Several large millstones were also carried on board. These can be sold, or transported as ballast for ships. There are two underwater anchors nearby. These are simple boulders with holes drilled into them. There is evidence that they were used before the ship sank.
But how and why the Dokos ship sank remains a mystery. There can be many reasons for this. There is no evidence that the ship was plundered by pirates. The most logical explanation is that a storm was too terrible for a ship of this size and type.
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The ocean is relentless
By studying pottery fragments and their unique types, scientists determined that the shipwreck dates back to between 2700 and 2200 BC, the Bronze Age of Ancient Greece.
The most precious and extensive early Greek pottery found in the Dorkos shipwreck, and the unique feature of pottery is that the pottery wheel was not dominant in Europe at that time, which indicates that Greece already had a relatively mature pottery making technology at that time.
Transportation of found pottery
As one of the oldest shipwrecks in the world, the Dorkos wreck itself is a tragedy, with ships laden with cargo drowning, remains almost gone, and sailors buried at sea. But leaving behind is a vast and rich treasure trove of heritage from which we get a glimpse into ancient life at sea.