BEIJING: The ground-breaking investigation into two centuries-old shipwrecks in the South China Sea was successful on Sunday, as a joint archaeological team secured more than 200 well-preserved cultural relics from the site 1,500 meters beneath the waters.
Among the discoveries were an iron anchor measuring about one meter in length, a box that appears on first inspection to be made of wood, two pieces of timber, and various ceramic items, such as a blue-and-white porcelain jar, a blue-and-white porcelain dish and a white-glazed bowl.
The relics will contribute to the research on China’s maritime history, ceramic history, overseas trade history and study on the Maritime Silk Road.
Archaeologists estimated that total amount of the relics could exceed 100,000 pieces, most of which are porcelain made during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in Jingdezhen – the capital of porcelain – for daily use and decoration.
China planned to carry out the second and third investigations in August 2023 and March 2024.
Professor Qin Dashu of Peking University told China Media Group (CMG) that he was “totally shocked” when he saw the relics. “You can even see each of the cabins, with the goods in their own place,” he said. The discovery is not only a breakthrough for China’s deep-sea archaeology, but also a significant archaeological discovery on a global level. China started its underwater archaeological explorations in the 1980s, but most of the missions were conducted in shallow coastal areas, about 40 meters below sea level. In 2018 and 2022, the country conducted two deep-sea archaeological investigations, opening a new chapter for the country’s deep-sea archaeology. –The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
