The Uluburun Wreck

Basic facts

• Sank of The lycian coast in late 14th century

• Cargo included 10 tonnes of copper, tin, ivory, glass ingots, ebony, jewellery, golden goblets, resin, olives, and Cypriot pottery.

• Cyprus was likely its last port

Hankey and Cline (1987) → Initial interpretation

• Proposed the cargo belonged to an Egyptian diplomatic delegation and was a gift exchange mission creating reciprocal ties

Problem with Hankey & Cline’s interpretation

• No evidence conclusively backs their idea, and it relies on a gift/commodity distinction that is hard to establish archaeologically.

Who was on board the ship?

• Pulak (2005) argues personal objects including Syro-Palestinian weaponry and Aegean spear points belong to a pair of Myceneans

• It was rare for Agean objects to be found outside the Aegean, suggesting individuals with Aegean affinity.

Bacchuber (2016) reinterpretation

• The ship was making a more commercial journey toward the Aegean. Some cargo circulated in elite networks; other parts were destined for non-palatial consumers

Impact on palaces

• The palace would have gained prestige from even a fraction of the cargo.

• Ports functioned as trade nodes and elites engaged in long-distance trade for institutional and personal gain.

What does the Uluburun suggest about co-existing exchange systems?

• Bulk institutional cargo and private goods co-existed on the same vessel

• Supports the key argument that multiple systems of exchange operated simultaneously in the Late Bronze Age rather than a single dominant mode.