Deep-sea surveys off the coast of Libya have identified a series of Bronze Age shipwrecks carrying high-quality Egyptian alabaster. The discovery confirms the existence of a direct maritime trade link, now dubbed 'The Alabaster Seaway,' connecting the New Kingdom of Egypt to the emerging cultures of the Western Mediterranean.
Analysis of the vessel hulls suggests advanced shipbuilding techniques capable of long-distance open-sea navigation. The cargo includes hundreds of finely worked alabaster jars and raw blocks, indicating that luxury materials from the Nile were a major driver of Mediterranean economic exchange 3,500 years ago.