Marine archaeologists using high-resolution multibeam sonar have identified the remains of a 3,500-year-old port facility submerged off the northern coast of Rhodes. The structure, which includes a series of massive stone quays and breakwaters, dates back to the Late Bronze Age. Researchers believe this port served as a critical hub for the maritime trade networks that connected the Mycenaean world with the Levant and Cyprus.
Excavations near the main quay revealed a sunken merchant vessel carrying over 200 oxhide-shaped ingots of Cypriot copper. The cargo remains remarkably intact, providing researchers with a unique opportunity to study ancient smelting techniques and metallurgical trade routes. This find suggests that Rhodes played a far more central role in the prehistoric metal trade than historical records previously indicated.