Riyadh — On Thursday, the Saudi Heritage Authority declared they discovered a sunken ancient shipwreck off the coast of Haql Governorate in the Red Sea and found hundreds of artifacts from the ship’s cargo.
The ship’s wreck, is located 300 meters off the beach, was discovered by a crew dedicated to scanning the Red Sea’s underwater history.
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Researchers suggest that the ship may have collided with coral reefs, scattering its parts and causing its cargo to fall to the ground. The pottery discovered is typically shaped like an “amphora,” made in cities throughout the Mediterranean Basin.
The authority’s survey and excavation for sunken artifacts in the Red Sea’s waters collaborate with international universities and research centers.
Discovering over 50 shipwrecks in the Red Sea emphasizes the Kingdom’s trade links and historical economy, and regional cultural ties.
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An earlier shipwreck was discovered near the city of Umluj by a joint Saudi-Italian mission in 2015-2016; contained Chinese porcelain pottery bowls and cups from the eighteenth century aside from metal bowls and broken glass bottles.
The joint Saudi-German team also discovered the remnants of a Roman shipwreck in the Red Sea some years back.
This is the earliest wreck of an ancient ship discovered along the Saudi coast; besides the shipwreck from the early Islamic era, in Rabigh in the north and Shuaiba in the south; confirming that the Kingdom’s shores are rich in this cumulative history.
