Image Credits: Mehmet Nuri Ersoy/X Archaeologists have recovered thousands of ceramic items from a shipwreck that sank about 2,100 years ago off the coast of Türkiye. The wreck lies off Adrasan in Antalya province. The cargo includes 122 different types and sizes of plates, bowls and trays. The plates and bowls are believed to have been made in ancient Rhosus, which is now Arsuz in Hatay province. The tableware was likely being taken to markets including Rome. The underwater excavation started in 2025. It is taking place at a depth of 42 to 55 metres. Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the finds show what tableware was used and traded in the Mediterranean at the time. The main cargo found on the wreck is made up of plates and bowls linked to Rhosus. Some of the items were used for serving nuts and soup. There are also fish plates and trays in different sizes. Archaeologists have identified 122 different forms and sizes among the vessels. The Culture and Tourism Ministry said Rhosus tableware was popular in Rome. It was also traded as luxury tableware in different parts of the Mediterranean. Amphorae believed to have been made on some Aegean islands were also found at the wreck. This shows that the cargo came from different production areas. The ceramics from Rhosus are also mentioned in a letter written by Roman statesman and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero. Image Credits: Mehmet Nuri Ersoy/X In a letter to his friend Atticus in 50 B.C., Cicero said he had ordered ceramic vessels from Rhosus for him, according to the ministry. This shows that ceramics from Rhosus were known in the Roman world. The shipwreck now gives researchers physical evidence of how such goods were moved by sea. Many of the plates and bowls are still in good condition. Researchers believe this is partly because of the way the cargo was packed. The ceramic pieces were put inside wooden crates. Clay was placed between the pieces to keep them from hitting each other. This he