2,100-year-old dishes found in Mediterranean wreck... details reveal how they survived

At a depth ranging between 42 and 55 meters off the coast of Adrasan in southern Turkey, archaeologists continue to recover the cargo of a ship that sank approximately 2,100 years ago.

The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that excavation efforts have so far unearthed thousands of ceramic fragments, including plates, vessels, and tiles, classified into 122 different shapes and sizes.

Some of these vessels are in good condition thanks to their packing method: clay was placed between the items inside boxes to minimize breakage during transport.

Researchers believe that some of the plates originated from the ancient city of Rosus, near present-day Arsuz, an area known for its pottery production. Additionally, jars believed to have been manufactured on islands in the Aegean Sea were found among the wreckage.

This possibility adds a notable historical dimension, as vessels from Rosus were mentioned in the correspondence of the Roman orator Cicero. Coins and other artifacts suggest that the ship was part of a trade network linking the eastern Mediterranean with the coasts of Greece and Italy, while the excavation team continues its work with the assistance of underwater robots.