The Antalya Kumluca shipwreck 1600 - 1500 BC

The underwater excavations were continued in 2022.

Two lead weights, weighing 22 and 44 grams were also found, indicating the presence of a merchant, possibly Syrian, who would have been responsible for buying and selling the cargo. The two weights found would be far too small to be used for weighing ingots, perhaps there was other, smaller, cargo on the vessel being carried in the ceramic containers, fragments of which were found during the 2022 excavation.

The copper ingots were probably enroute to Crete where they would have been worked into finished objects for onward exportation.

The Minoans traded a diverse range of commodities, with metals playing a particularly significant role. Copper, essential for bronze production, was primarily imported from Cyprus, while tin was sourced from distant lands such as Afghanistan or Cornwall. Beyond raw materials, the Minoans exported expertly crafted bronze tools, weapons, and artifacts throughout the Mediterranean.

In addition to metals, the Minoans exported luxury goods like olive oil, wine, and renowned pottery. In exchange, they imported precious materials, including gold, ivory, and gemstones, which they used to adorn their art and religious artifacts.

From 1725 BC until 1550 BC, the Hyksos dominated Lower Egypt and from 1600 BC, their territory included Canaan and Syria. In 1550 BC pharaoh Ahmose I threw the Hyksos out of Egypt and continued his campaigns into the Levant. Meanwhile the Mittani were establishing their society in the north of Mesopotamia. The Mittani originated somewhere to the north of Mesopotamia and by a combination of conquest, political negotiations and politically inspired marriages, by 1490 BC, had established an extensive kingdom covering northern Mesopotamia, the northern Levant as far south as Qadesh where it abutted the Egyptian territory and parts of Anatolia. In Anatolia, the Mittani competed with the Hittites for territory. In short, the whole period was one of turmoil between competing kingdoms.

The discovery of a bronze age dagger with silver rivets, similar to others found on Crete, reinforces the link between the Kumluca shipwreck and the Minoan civilisation on Crete.