Türkiye stands as global hub for underwater archaeology

By Faruk Hanedar

ISTANBUL (AA) – With its central location in the cradle of ancient civilizations, and surrounded by seas on three sides, Türkiye emerges as a captivating global stronghold for underwater archaeology, according to experts.

Hailed as the birthplace of underwater archaeology in the 1960s, countless Turkish and international scholars have embarked on profound expeditions into the submerged antiquity of Türkiye.

Frederick Hocker, director of research at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, told Anadolu that marine in Türkiye has a long history.

Thanks to its geographical location, different cultures have passed through Türkiye or sailed along its shores in the last 5,000 years, said Hocker, who worked in Türkiye from 1986 to 1998.

The potential richness of material on the Anatolian coast cannot be found anywhere else in the world, he added.

Noting that Türkiye is "where underwater archeology begins," Hocker highlighted a number of projects on underwater archeology, including American archaeologist, George Bass, who was often dubbed the "Father of Underwater Archaeology" and focused on Cape Gelidonya, a late Bronze Age shipwreck excavation.

He also mentioned works on the Vasa, a Swedish warship that sank in 1628, the five Viking ships are also known as the Skuldelev Ships found in Denmark, and the Bremen Cog, one of the best-preserved merchant ships from medieval Northern Europe.

For this reason, he added, Türkiye and its shipwrecks are an integral part of the birth of underwater archeology.

- Bodrum Museum

Cemal Pulak, a professor at Texas A&M University, also mentioned the late archeologist George Bass, who worked on the Turkish coasts.

“The first finds from underwater archeology excavations are exhibited at the Bodrum Museum (in Türkiye’s Aegean Mugla province). Uluburun Shipwreck is one of the most important and is on display as it is. Therefore, the Bodrum Museum is the most important museum in the world in terms of underwater archeology,” he said.

“However, as you know, the Bodrum Museum is a medieval castle, not built as a museum, so its exhibition space is limited in terms of storage and finding a place for archaeologists to work,” he added.

Pulak emphasized that the conservation of artifacts obtained through underwater archeology is very different from the conservation of artifacts obtained through land archeology, and it is laborious, time-consuming, and costly.

For example, he said, he worked for about 10 years between 1984 and 1994 at Uluburun Shipwreck, one of the oldest known shipwrecks located in the Mediterranean Sea.

“Even after 29 years, we are still dealing with its conservation. Of course, it is not published until the conservation and restoration (work) is completed. Those who roll up their sleeves for these jobs should be willing to work long hours,” he added.

Noting that Türkiye has been a center for underwater archeology since the 1960s, Pulak said during that time, the number of archaeologists was low, and with the increase in studies in the field of underwater archeology in universities, the interest increased, and thus the preservation of the discoveries became easier and more efficient by experiencing an acceleration.

- World's largest medieval shipwreck collection

Ufuk Kocabas, head of the Department of Conservation of Marine Archaeological Objects at Istanbul University, told Anadolu that the last link in the chain of underwater remains is the Yenikapi excavations, a major work for the archeological history of the world that unveiled Istanbul’s 8,500-year-old history.

Kocabas, who is also taking an active part in the Yenikapi excavations, said: “During the rescue excavations carried out for the Marmaray metro station, 37 medieval shipwrecks were found. The largest mass ship finds in the world is in Yenikapi.”

Kocabas explained why the Yenikapi finds are important for the uninterrupted emergence of shipwrecks between the 5th and 10th centuries, saying, "The finds allow us to understand the development of shipbuilding techniques."

“This is a harbor excavation, although it is a land excavation. Therefore, the materials are saturated with water,” he noted.

Kocabas also said the number of researchers and research vessels has increased in recent years, which is a positive development, and that Türkiye supports research in this field.

He explained that preserving underwater discoveries is extremely difficult, citing the high cost of conservation chemicals.

Kocabas emphasized the importance of establishing a museum to store the shipwrecks, which are deteriorating rapidly.

Winfried Held, a professor at the Philipps University of Marburg in Germany, told Anadolu that many organic substances are better preserved under water and that the problems begin as soon as they are removed from the sea.

The best prevention is to leave it where you found it, he said, adding that “but that is not always possible. For example, it was not possible in Yenikapi.”

According to Held, the world learns about human history thanks to studies in Türkiye.