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'Cicero's order': 2,100-year-old tableware recovered from ancient shipwreck off Antalya
The finds are linked to ceramics from Rhosus, which Cicero mentioned ordering for his friend Atticus in correspondence dating to 50 BCE.
Archaeologists excavating a shipwreck off the coast of Adrasan in Antalya have uncovered 2,100-year-old tableware that sheds light on dining culture and maritime trade in the ancient Mediterranean.
According to the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the ship’s main cargo consists of plates and bowls believed to have been produced near ancient Rhosus, in what is now Arsuz in Hatay province.
The finds include nut dishes, soup bowls, fish plates and trays in various sizes. The ministry said such wares were particularly sought after in Rome and were among the luxury tableware used across the Mediterranean world.
Amphorae thought to have been produced on several Aegean islands were also found in the wreck, indicating that the vessel was carrying goods from different production centers.
“We are bringing 2,100-year-old tableware to light from the depths of the Mediterranean,” Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said on social media. “Plates, bowls and trays in 122 different forms and sizes reveal the luxury dining culture of the period.”
Cicero's order
The significance of ceramics from Rhosus is also reflected in the correspondence of Roman statesman and orator Cicero. In a letter written to his friend Atticus in 50 BCE, Cicero said he had ordered ceramic vessels for him from Rhosus.
The reference indicates that tableware produced in the region was known and sought after in the Roman world. Linking the ceramics found in the Adrasan wreck to Rhosus could also help researchers understand how such products moved through ancient maritime trade networks.
Many of the plates and bowls survived in good condition because of a packing method used before the voyage. Clay was placed between the ceramics before they were loaded into wooden crates, helping prevent them from breaking when the ship sank and protecting them for thousands of years.
Coins from Antioch dating to the first century BCE have also been found aboard the wreck. The discoveries indicate that the vessel was operating within a trade network connecting Antioch, the Aegean, Greece and the Italian coast around the middle of the first century BCE.
The ship is believed to have departed from Arsuz and was likely heading toward Rome when it struck a shallow area during a storm and sank.
Underwater archaeologists are continuing excavations at the site off Adrasan with the assistance of robotic equipment.
(VK)
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