The Uluburun shipwreck opens a window to the ancient world.
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In 1982, a sponge diver made an incredible discovery in the waters off the coast of Turkey.
had lain at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea for more than 3,000 years after sinking near the eastern shore of what was then called Uluburun.
Between 1984 and 1994, more than 22,000 dives to the Uluburun shipwreck revealed its cargo: food, tools, jewels, pottery — and, most importantly, metal.
Cemal Pulak/Texas A&M University
For a recent study published in Science Advances, researchers performed tin isotype analysis on metal recovered from the Uluburun shipwreck, allowing them to determine where it originated.
Combining metallurgical analysis with the work of archaeologists and historians, the team put together a compelling — and surprising — picture of the region’s Bronze Age tin trade.
Tin and copper are the main ingredients of bronze, the most important technological development at the time of the Uluburun shipwreck. Copper is relatively common, but tin’s scarcity made it much more sought-after.
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The Uluburun ship held the copper and tin needed to produce 11 metric tons of bronze — enough, researchers say, to create 5,000 swords for a Bronze Age army.
Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M
The finding not only solves the mystery of the Uluburun’s ship, but also paints a fascinating picture of multicultural economic cooperation in the ancient world.
Next, there’s another question to tackle. With the known borders of Bronze Age trade routes expanded, researchers plan to study the distinct ingot shapes that served as signifiers for metal’s origin, as it’s possible they originated farther from their destinations than previously imagined.