In the 1960s, the excavation of an ancient Greek merchant ship off the northern coast of Cyprus revealed an extraordinary time capsule from the early Hellenistic period. Accurately dating the Kyrenia shipwreck, however, had been a significant challenge due to discrepancies between scientific and archaeological evidence. A recent study by Dr. Brita Lorentzen and colleagues has now provided a more precise timeline. By examining organic materials such as the ship's wooden timbers, cargo of almonds, and a gaming piece, the researchers determined that the ship sank around 280 BC, which better aligns with the archaeological findings. Read more about the study in this Reuters article. Image: Almonds from the ship's cargo used for radiocarbon dating The study, A revised radiocarbon calibration curve 350–250 BCE impacts high-precision dating of the Kyrenia Ship, enhances our understanding of ancient maritime practices and trade networks, while advancing new methodologies in the scientific dating of ancient wooden ships and archaeological materials worldwide from the mid-4th through mid-3rd centuries BC. Image: Microscopic image of pine tree-rings from one of the Kyrenia ship timbers (Cover image: The Kyrenia ship's wooden hull on display in Cyprus)
