Cape Gelidonya Archaeological Site

Cape Gelidonya is a rocky headland on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast in Antalya Province, part of the ancient Lycian shoreline. It is best known for the Bronze Age shipwreck discovered off the cape and excavated in the early 1960s.

The underwater wreck site off the cape produced copper and other metal cargo, along with pottery sherds and cargo fittings that date the wreck to the late second millennium BCE. The site is important in maritime archaeology for early systematic underwater excavation methods and for evidence of Bronze Age trade networks.

The shipwreck was located and excavated beginning in 1960 by a team including Peter Throckmorton, Georges Bass, and others; the work took place in 1960-61 and set methodological precedents for underwater archaeology. Finds from the excavation were conserved and studied by multiple institutions.

Geographically the cape projects into the southeastern Mediterranean on the Turkish Turquoise Coast, along a rugged shoreline of coves and reefs that has long been a hazard and a landmark for coastal navigation.

• Excavation: Excavated in 1960-61 in one of the first scientific underwater archaeological projects, led by George Bass and colleagues.

What to See#

• Gelidonya shipwreck site: The underwater archaeological site where the Bronze Age wreck was excavated in 1960-61, yielding metal ingots, amphorae fragments and pottery that link the wreck to late second-millennium BCE eastern Mediterranean trade.

Drive from Kaş or Kalkan along the coastal road (D400) toward the village of Gelidonya; the cape is approximately 20-40 minutes by car from Kaş depending on route. Many visitors arrive by small boat from Kaş or Kalkan - boat operators run day trips that include snorkeling and coastal navigation.

• If visiting by boat, anchor in the small bay and approach on foot - the cape is rugged and there are no facilities.
• Bring stout shoes for slippery limestone and watch for loose scree underfoot; some paths are steep and exposed.
• Combine a visit with the nearby Lycian Way sections and the sunken ruins off the coast - local guides can show snorkel or dive points.