Chinese archaeologists are intrigued by two ancient shipwrecks

Deep-sea excavations promise new discoveries about the Great Silk Road

The study of ancient shipwrecks in the South China Sea by archaeologists gives an idea of ​​the historical trade routes of the Great Silk Road. Archaeologists begin deep-sea excavations of two 500-year-old vessels filled with porcelain and wood.

Chinese archaeologists say two 500-year-old shipwrecks in the South China Sea, filled with Ming porcelain and stacked logs, provide important clues about the sea trade routes of the Silk Road.

According to The Guardian, citing government officials, the two wrecks were discovered in October last year, and now cultural and archeological authorities have begun a year-long process of deep-sea research and excavation.

Marine researchers have found two vessels in the northwestern South China Sea, about 1,500 meters below sea level. Officials said the wrecks are “relatively well preserved, with a large number of cultural relics.”

Experts said that one of the wrecks belongs to the Ming Hongzhi Dynasty, which lasted from 1488 to 1505. The ship carried a cargo of stacked persimmon logs and some pottery.

Another wreck is from the Zhengde period from 1506 to 1521. It is reported that over 100,000 porcelain items were loaded onto the ship. The photographs show stacked bowls, plates and jugs with intricate designs still visible under the sand and mud.

Archaeologists said the two ancient ships were heading in different directions and the wreckage was found less than 20km apart. Scientists said this was the first time that returning and arriving ships were found next to each other, indicating that they were moving along an important trade route.

“It helps us to study the mutual flow of the maritime Silk Road,” said Tang Wei, director of the China National Center for Archeology.

The exact location of the wrecks has not been released, but officials have said markers have been placed at the site.

Chinese archaeological research has advanced into deeper waters in recent years, after the National Center for Archeology and the Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering established a deep sea archeology lab in 2018, The Guardian notes.

Officials said the researchers were submerged on Saturday by the Shenhai Yongshi submersible, which can transport people to depths of up to 5,000 meters.

The planned research program consists of three phases, with about 50 dives planned between today and April.

“First, we need to find out the condition of the wrecks, and then we can develop plans for archaeological excavations and conservation,” said Song Jianzhong, a researcher at the National Center for Archeology.

By mid-June, the researchers plan to estimate the extent of both wrecks, collect extensive data collection and archeological records, recover some relics as samples, and take samples of the surrounding seabed.