An underwater excavation off the coast of Kumluca, Antalya, has uncovered a bronze dagger with silver rivets dating back approximately 3,600 years to the Minoan civilization.
This discovery, which was made with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and led by Hakan Öniz from Akdeniz University, is a significant find in the ongoing underwater search operations that began in 2019. The dagger was found in a sunken ship at a depth of 50 meters, which was previously thought to have carried copper ingots from the Troodos Mountains. The findings suggest the ship was en route to Crete when it sank.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy shared images of the dagger on social media, praising the discovery as a major contribution to underwater archaeology, both in Turkey and globally. He expressed gratitude to the Akdeniz University and the Directorate of Excavations and Research for their meticulous work in revealing the ancient artifact.
