An example of the heavy traffic in the Mediterranean

Recent underwater explorations of the Bay of Fethiye, ancient Telmessus, led to discovering a heap of amphorae of the Rhodian type. 

[Picture from Daily Sabag]

The shipwreck was found at a depth of 28 meters and only 20 meters from the shore. The remains of amphorae indicated the place of the wreck that occurred in the 3rd century AD. This dating was based on the shape of the amphorae whose spur-handles are typical for the last type produced in Rhodes. It has been labeled as the latest example from the Roman era. 

At that time, Rhodes was a major harbor and entertained intense trade relations with other cities around the Mediterranean and Asia Minor in particular. 

It has been estimated that this merchant ship, of which nothing remains, was between 20 and 30 meters long, and it probably sank during a storm. 

It is known that storms are the primary cause for ships to run aground. So far, approximately 40 shipwrecks from antiquity have been identified in the Turkish waters.