On October 19, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage held a press conference to introduce the important progress of the "Archaeological China" major project. The conference showed the important discoveries in the field of underwater archaeology in China, and reported three important archaeological achievements, namely, the site of the first and second shipwrecks on the northwest slope of the South China Sea, the site of the shipwrecks of the Yuan Dynasty on Shengbei Island in Zhangzhou, and the site of the Jiawu shipwrecks in Weihai.
Ruins of shipwrecks No. 1 and No. 2 on the northwest slope of the South China Sea: the first discovery of shipwrecks of the Ming Dynasty at the depth of 1500 meters
The No.1 and No.2 shipwrecks on the northwest slope of the South China Sea are the first shipwrecks of the Ming Dynasty found in the 1500m deep sea in China. Through marine physical exploration, underwater survey of manned submersibles, 3D images and laser scanning records, we confirmed the preservation status of the two shipwrecks, extracted nearly 580 pieces (sets) of porcelain, pottery, logs, etc., and demonstrated the development, utilization The historical fact of exchanges in the South China Sea is also an important witness of China's ancient maritime silk road trade exchanges and cultural exchanges.
The site of the No.1 shipwreck on the northwest slope of the South China Sea is located in a water depth of about 1500 meters. The core area of the shipwreck is the hull and a large number of pottery, porcelain, iron and other articles carried on the ship. It is about 37 meters long and 11 meters wide. There are 10 compartments, with a stack of up to 3 meters. At present, more than 540 pieces (sets) of pottery, blue and white, blue and white glaze, blue and white glaze, white glaze, red and green color, enamel, monochrome glaze, plain three color and other artifacts have been extracted, The sunken ship was roughly in the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty (1506-1521 AD), and the cargo was mainly Jingdezhen kiln porcelain. It is speculated that it was a private merchant ship that set out from Fujian or Guangdong to Malacca and other trade transfer stations. The No. 2 shipwreck site on the northwest slope of the South China Sea is located in a water depth of about 1500 meters. A large number of log piles are found in orderly arrangement, about 21 meters long from north to south, and about 8 meters wide from east to west. At present, more than 30 pieces of relics have been extracted, such as logs, porcelain, pottery, whelk shells, antlers, etc. The shipwreck was roughly in the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty (1488-1505 AD). It is speculated that it was a folk merchant ship carrying goods such as ebony back to China from Malacca and other trade transfer stations.
The Ruins of Sunken Ships of the Yuan Dynasty on Shengpenyu Island in Zhangzhou: Reviving the Prosperity of the Maritime Silk Road
The water depth of the shipwreck site is about 30 meters. There are wooden hulls and stacked cargoes left in the main area, covering an area of about 300 square meters. Archaeological excavation found that the wrecked ship hull was about 16.95 meters long, and the widest part was about 4.5 meters. There were 9 bulkhead plates, 10 cabins, and a single plate structure. Hull components such as mast, keel plate, keel reinforcement materials, and bilge keel were found. About 17000 pieces of unearthed cultural relics are mainly Longquan celadon, pottery pots, plumb bob, seals and other cultural relics related to life and navigation on ships. The number of Longquan celadon reached more than 16000 pieces. The shapes of the celadon include bowls, plates, dishes, cups, washes, bowls, censers, and goblets. It was in the late Yuan Dynasty and was a typical export trade porcelain. Based on the archaeological findings of the ancient port of Shuomen in Wenzhou, it is speculated that the sunken ship may be a private trade merchant ship sailing from Wenzhou Port to Southeast Asia.
Through scientific and technological innovation and equipment improvement, the sunken ship site of the Yuan Dynasty on Shengbei Island in Zhangzhou realized the underwater archaeological excavation in low visibility, which greatly improved the level of underwater archaeological excavation technology in China. The discovery of sunken ships, ship cargo, as well as cultural relics related to life and navigation on board, reproduced the prosperity of Longquan celadon export and the maritime Silk Road in the Yuan Dynasty, It is of great value for the in-depth study of the navigation history, shipbuilding history and life history of the Yuan Dynasty.
Weihai Jiawu shipwreck site: filling the gap in underwater archaeological work of large-scale modern shipwrecks
The Jiawu shipwreck site in Weihai Bay has a water depth of 6-10 meters, a distribution area of 850-2100 square meters, and is buried 0.5-3 meters under the sea mud. No complete ship body has been found, and the only remains are scattered. The excavated relics include hull members, crew living articles, weapons and ammunition, etc. The position of the bow, midship and stern of the original ship can be judged according to the type of relics.
The series of archaeological work on the sinking of warships in 1894-1895 summarized a set of practical and feasible methods of modern ship sinking archaeology and protection. Three ships, Dingyuan, Jingyuan and Laiyuan, were successively found in Weihai Bay. Silver spoons with the name of "Laiyuan" engraved on the water, identity wooden plates with the name of "Laiyuan" sailors, as well as a large number of weapons, ammunition, household goods, etc, It fills the gap of underwater archaeological work of large-scale modern sunken ships in China, and is of great value for promoting the historical research of the Sino Japanese Naval Battle.
The three underwater archaeological discoveries and research achievements reported in this report have concentrated on the important progress in deep-sea archaeology, ancient shipwreck archaeology, and modern shipwreck archaeology in China in recent years, and are of great significance in promoting the research and development and breakthrough of underwater archaeology technology, the study of the Sino Japanese Naval War, the study of the ancient maritime Silk Road, and the demonstration of the "Belt and Road" civilization exchange and mutual learning. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage said that it would continue to promote multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary cooperation in underwater archaeology, innovate ideas, technologies and methods, expand research fields, and enhance the international influence of underwater archaeology in China.
