500-Year-Old Shipwrecks in China Found To Contain Hundreds of Incredible Artifacts

Maritime archaeologists were able to find hundreds of incredible artifacts from a duo of centuries-old shipwrecks found in South China Sea.

The shipwrecks were discovered roughly 4,900 feet deep on the sea's northwest continental slope.

Incredible Artifacts in the Shipwrecks

The first shipwreck was found to hold over 100,000 pieces of artifacts. As for the second one, it was found to mainly contain a massive number of wood logs.

Researcher Song JianZhong, who is from the National Archaeological Research Center under the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA), noted that the artifact types that were previously unseen were found at the site of the shipwreck.

Roughly 890 artifact pieces were recovered from the first wreckage. These items included copper coins, pottery items, and porcelain. However, this is just a small fraction compared to the over 10,000 items that were discovered in the area.

As for the second shipwreck, there were 38 items in total that were retrieved. These retrieved items included lumber, pottery, porcelain products, and some deer antlers.

The archaeologists used unmanned and manned submersibles to gather the artifacts and sediment samples. They also got to document the shipwreck sites with the help of a 3D laser scanner as well as HD underwater cameras.

Ming Dynasty Shipwrecks

The two shipwrecks were also found to date to the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644). During this dynasty, the population of the country doubled, while the nation also formed some cultural links with the West.

The first shipwreck was found to be from Emperor Zhengde's reign, which took place from 1506 to 1521.

As for the second one, it was constructed during Emperor Hongzhi's reign (1488 to 1505).

In the first wreck, a marking spotted on a green and red bowl helped the specialists date the vessel to the first year of the reign of Emperor Zhengde.

Jianzhong noted that this confirms their earlier speculations that the first shipwreck was from the Zhengde, noting further that this is the most important discovery they made during the third research phase.

According to Deputy Head Guan Qiang from the NCHA, the shipwrecks are crucial for understanding cultural exchange and trade in the South China Sea during the Ming Dynasty. Qiang also noted that the discovery offers evidence that the ancestors of China utilized, developed, and traveled to and from the South China Sea.

The duo of shipwrecks were first discovered in October 2022.

Other Shipwreck Discoveries

On top of this, marine archaeologists also revealed earlier this month that they were able to recover two massive grave slabs from a 13th-century shipwreck off England's coasts.

The medieval vessel, called the "Mortar Wreck," sits at the sea bottom off the Isle of Purbeck coast. This is a peninsula in Dorset County in southern England.

The ship reportedly sank around 800 years ago, earning it the title of being the oldest known one in the waters of England.

While it was still operational, the ship held several cargo items, including some grinding mortars and grave slabs.

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