by Hakan Oniz, director of the Cultural Heritage Commission.

Located off the Mediterranean coast of Turkey in the Kumluca district of Antalya Province, this Bronze Age shipwreck was discovered in 2018. An underwater excavation led by Associate Professor Hakan Öniz of Akdeniz University began at the approximately 3,600-year-old site in 2019. This wreck is one of the world’s oldest trade shipwrecks and its cargo consists of copper ingots loaded from the island of Cyprus. The artefacts are currently being excavated by expert underwater archaeologists at a depth of 45–50 metres and will be exhibited at the Mediterranean Underwater Archaeology Museum in the Kemer district of Antalya. Lionfish accompany the underwater archaeologists at the wreck. These fish are normally dangerous due to the venom in their spines. However, over time, a bond has formed between the lionfish and the archaeologists, and the lionfish have not harmed the archaeologists. Nevertheless, you must absolutely stay away from these fish. If you come across any of these artefacts or any historical remains that appear to be of human origin, do not touch them and notify the nearest museum.