A world-class archaeological achievement! my country's first discovery in the South China Sea →

On October 19, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage held a press conference to introduce the important progress of the major "Archaeology China" project and reported three important archaeological results: the No. 1 and No. 2 shipwreck sites on the northwest slope of the South China Sea, the Yuan Dynasty shipwreck site on Shengbei Island in Zhangzhou, and the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 site in Weihai.

Image source: State Administration of Cultural Heritage

The No. 1 and No. 2 shipwreck sites on the northwest slope of the South China Sea are the first Ming Dynasty shipwreck sites discovered in my country at a depth of 1,500 meters. Underwater archaeologists confirmed the preservation status of the two shipwrecks through ocean physical detection, underwater investigation by manned submersibles, and 3D imaging and laser scanning records, and extracted nearly 580 pieces (sets) of porcelain, pottery, logs, etc.

Song Jianzhong, a research curator at the Archaeological Research Center of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, said that the No. 1 and No. 2 shipwreck sites on the northwest slope of the South China Sea are relatively well preserved, with a huge number of cultural relics and relatively clear ages. They are not only a major discovery in China's deep-sea archaeology, but also a major world-class archaeological discovery, and an important witness to the trade and cultural exchanges along China's ancient Maritime Silk Road.

Image source: State Administration of Cultural Heritage

At the Yuan Dynasty shipwreck site on Shengbei Island in Zhangzhou, underwater archaeologists have achieved refined underwater archaeological excavations in low visibility through technological innovation and equipment improvement. The Shengbei Island shipwreck recreates the export of Longquan celadon in the late Yuan Dynasty and the prosperity of the Maritime Silk Road.

In Weihai Bay, three ships, Dingyuan, Jingyuan and Laiyuan, were discovered one after another, and a silver spoon engraved with the name of the ship "Laiyuan" was unearthed. The series of archaeological work on the sunken ships during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 explored and summarized a set of practical methods for the archaeology and protection of modern and contemporary sunken ships, filling the gap in underwater archaeology of modern and contemporary sunken ships in Chinese waters.

Image source: State Administration of Cultural Heritage

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Source: Science and Technology Daily

Editor: Yinuo