Antalya shores, Late Roman Period, Amphora
Mediterranean shores, iron anchor
Mediterranean shores, part of the iron anchor
Mediterranean shores, T-type anchor
Antalya shores, Amphora wreck
Adana shores, Amphora upper body part
Antalya shores, Ottoman Period anchor
Antalya shores, Single hole stone anchor
Antalya shores, Single hole stone anchor
Antalya shores, Y-type iron anchor
One of the shipwrecks found on the shores of Antalya
Mersin shores, Amphora upper body part
Mersin shores, Tile wreck
Mersin shores, Terracotta pot
Underwater archaeological surveys along the coastline in the provinces of Antalya, Mersin, Adana, and Hatay have been ongoing since 2000 with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The surveys, which have been jointly conducted by the Mediterranean Civilizations Research Institute/Mediterranean Underwater Cultural Heritage Research Department team of Akdeniz University, utilize the Archaeological Scientific Research and Excavation Ship (Arkeo). In addition to numerous anchors and other various remains, a total of 282 shipwrecks have been identified—211 along Antalya's coastline, 65 along Mersin's coastline, 4 along Hatay's coastline, and 2 along Adana's coastline. Cultural heritage items, including wrecks and other archaeological properties, were discovered by exploring natural and man-made harbors, capes, shallow areas, and islets. There are still unexplored areas along Türkiye's 1,577 km-long Mediterranean coastline. With advancements in technology, previously surveyed areas have been revisited, leading to the identification of new wrecks and remains that were not previously noticed.
The work was carried out with the participation of Akdeniz University's Department of Mediterranean Underwater Heritage Research, master's students, and students from partner universities in the UNESCO UniTwin Underwater Archaeology Network. The Arkeo scientific research ship and various land and marine vehicles were used. High-tech equipment, including Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROVs), Dual Beam Sonar, Side Scan Sonar, Magnetometer, underwater communication systems, and camera systems connected to the ship, were employed. As a result, more comprehensive findings were obtained compared to standard underwater research methods.
