The discovery of the wreckage of a giant Ottoman ship in the Mediterranean shows the creativity of the East and the beginnings of true globalization

Many researchers may be forced to reconsider the concept of economic globalization and its beginnings. A shipwreck in the depths of the eastern bank of the Mediterranean revealed that the Ottoman Empire linked maritime trade lines between East and West centuries ago.

After decades of exploratory campaigns in the eastern Mediterranean, a team of scientists - with the help of underwater robots - discovered a series of shipwrecks in the area between the Lebanese and Cypriot coasts.

In a report published by the British newspaper "The Guardian", the author, Dalia Alberg, said that the team found a group of ships shattered two kilometers from the shores of the Sea of ​​Levant, which include archaeological treasures from different eras and cultures, starting with the Hellenistic civilization through the Roman to the Ottoman Empire.

Sean Kingsley, director of the East and West Sea Exploration Center and archaeologist at the "Destroying Secrets Ship Project" (EPS) told the Observer newspaper about the new discovery: "It is a truly remarkable event, one of the most important discoveries in the Mediterranean."

The writer explained that among the team's discoveries was the wreck of an Ottoman merchant ship dating back to the 17th century, described as a "giant ship", and its cargo contained hundreds of artifacts from 14 different cultures and civilizations, including Chinese porcelain utensils and Italian jugs, as well as found inside the pepper grains, And vessels of water from Yemen and incense from the Arabian Peninsula, according to a report published by the newspaper "The National".

Maritime Silk Road
The scientists pointed out that the shipwreck reveals a maritime route of silk and spices that was not previously known, extending from China to Persia, the Red Sea and the eastern Mediterranean, while the popular belief that globalized global trade did not take place until the 19th century.

Kissingli said that the ship, which is believed to have sunk in 1630, while sailing between Egypt and Istanbul, is a witness to the times that brings us to the beginnings of commercial globalization, as the effects belonging to various cultures and civilizations, from China, India, the Gulf, the Red Sea Basin, North Africa, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Belgium , Reveals a global nature of maritime trade that precedes what we know in modern times.

Kingsley added that the ship "is 43 meters long and weighs one thousand tons, and it is one of the most wonderful examples of marine technology and trade in all oceans, the size of which is proportional to the capacity of its cargo."  

The writer added that the collection of Chinese ceramic utensils includes 360 decorated cups, dishes and a bottle made during the reign of Zhongxin, the last emperor of the Ming dynasty, all designed for drinking tea, but the Ottomans used them to drink coffee, as well as found Ottoman tobacco pipes hidden in the ship. 

Creative East
Kingsley said, "Through smoking tobacco and drinking coffee in Ottoman cafes, the idea of ​​entertainment and fine life emerged, which are distinctive features of modern culture. Perhaps Europe believes that it invented the concepts of civilization, but coffee cups and shattered pots indicate that the East was creative and not imitation." . And the first cafe in London opened its doors only in 1652, a century after the Ottoman East and the Levant.  

"The monuments have been carefully photographed using a combination of advanced digital imaging mechanisms and high-definition video. For marine science and exploration, this discovery is a great leap forward," the writer quoted Stephen Valerie, director of the Destroyer Secrets Ship Project as saying.

The author stated that the relics discovered are currently in Cyprus, the workplace of the team, but Kingsley expressed his hope that it would be displayed later in a public museum.

It is worth noting that the Cypriot authorities issued a strongly worded statement attacking the British company, which said that the Cypriot customs authorities had seized the artifacts.