Cultural relics retrieved from two ancient shipwrecks discovered in the South China Sea. /Courtesy of NCHA
Editor's note: This is an article of a series covering the discovery of two Ming Dynasty shipwrecks in the South China Sea. CGTN will write more about the topic according to the archaeological research progress. You can find the previous pieces here.
A total of 928 pieces of cultural relics have been retrieved from two ancient shipwrecks discovered in the South China Sea, the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) said on Thursday.
The excavation, conducted from 2023 to 2024, was a joint effort by research institutes and a local museum, according to a press briefing held in south China's Hainan Province.
A total of 890 pieces were excavated from the No. 1 shipwreck, including porcelain and pottery items, as well as copper coins. From the No. 2 shipwreck, 38 ancient artifacts were retrieved, including lumber, porcelain and pottery products, turban shells and deer antlers.
In October 2022, the two ancient shipwrecks from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) were discovered at a depth of about 1,500 meters near the northwest continental slope of the South China Sea.
Cultural relics retrieved from two ancient shipwrecks discovered in the South China Sea. /Courtesy of NCHA
The discovery provides evidence that Chinese ancestors developed, utilized and traveled to and from the South China Sea, with the two shipwrecks serving as important witnesses to trade and cultural exchanges along the ancient Maritime Silk Road, said Guan Qiang, deputy head of the NCHA.
The deep-sea archaeological investigation, integrating China's deep-sea science and technology, and underwater archaeology, indicates the country has reached a world-class level in deep-sea archaeology, according to Guan.
A panoramic image of the No. 1 shipwreck. /Courtesy of NCHA
The cultural relics are extracted by the flexible manipulator of the submersible. /Courtesy of NCHA
The manned submersible Shenhai Yongshi (Deep Sea Warrior) conducts a dive for deep-sea archaeological investigation. /Courtesy of NCHA
The mission used a variety of deep-sea technologies and equipment for the first time. For example, 3D laser scanners and high-definition cameras completed the panoramic image mosaics and 3D laser scanning of the distributed area of wreck sites.
The cultural relics were extracted by the flexible manipulator of the submersible, and a large number of samples of submarine sediments, bottom seawater and marine organisms were collected.
Both a manned submersible and unmanned submersible were used in the deep-sea archaeological investigation.
(With input from Xinhua, China Media Group)