China’s State Cultural Heritage Administration announced that two groundbreaking discoveries were made as part of underwater archeology studies. Discoveries of 2 ancient ships, announced by Chinese official sources, spread over tens of thousands of square meters. The ancient remains of two heavily loaded merchant ships dating to the late 15th and early 16th centuries (1506-1521) when the Ming dynasty ruled China consist of about 100,000 pieces. Announcing that the ruins are of first-class archaeological importance, the National Cultural Heritage Administration shared that they will also obtain important clues about the sea section of the Silk Road, the ancient trade route that connects China with other Asian countries and beyond.
PORCELAINS AND GIANT OVEN REMAINS FOUND
One of the ships, located on the northwest slope of the South China Sea, is thought to be an export cargo ship. Porcelain items, remnants of huge kilns used to make porcelain (the Jingdezhen and Longquan kiln), bowls, plates, jars and bottles were found on the export ship.
IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LOGS ARE TRABZON DATE TREE
In the other ship, which was discovered in the depths of the China Sea, many logs and a small number of pots made of clay were found, as well as the remains of porcelain ware. Properly stacked and processed, similarly sized logs were noted to belong to the Diospyros, persimmon tree of the ebony family. A large number of logs found in the wreck were found to be important items imported in China’s overseas trade exchanges.
IMPORTANT TIPS ON SILK WAY CAN BE PROVIDED
It was stated that the two shipwrecks were of similar age, with a distance of just over ten nautical miles between them. Ancient ships sailing in the same sea area have been found for the first time in China. This is of great importance in terms of helping to analyze the importance of this route and the two-way flow of the Maritime Silk Road.
MANNED DIVE SHIPS TO BE INSPECTED FOR 1 YEAR
Chinese officials also announced that they have prepared a 1-year action plan in order to conduct detailed investigations on sunken ships. Accordingly, manned deep-diving vessels will carry out a regular three-phase study to identify the area where the shipwrecks are located and to extract representative remains and soil samples from the seafloor. Yan Yalin, Director of the Archeology Department of the State Cultural Heritage Administration, said the discovery made a groundbreaking contribution to China’s maritime history.
DHA