China starts archeological research on two shipwrecks near SW continental slope of South China Sea

An archaeological investigation on two ancient shipwrecks discovered in the South China Sea was launched on Saturday, opening a new chapter of China’s deep-sea archaeology, according to a press conference held Sunday in Sanya, south China’s Hainan Province. During the first archaeological survey of the No.1 shipwreck, located near the northwest continental slope of the South China Sea, researchers successfully established a permanent underwater mapping foundation in the southwest corner of the shipwreck site. The preliminary search and investigation as well as image recording were also carried out, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA). In October 2022, two ancient shipwrecks were discovered at an underwater depth of about 1,500 meters near the northwest continental slope of the South China Sea. One mainly consists of porcelain relics, estimated to contain more than 100,000 pieces dating back to the reign of Emperor Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty (1506-1521). The other, No. 2 shipwreck, mainly contains a large number of wood logs. Through a preliminary study, it was determined that the ship in question was loaded with cargo and had sailed from overseas to ancient China. It dates back to the reign of Emperor Hongzhi of the Ming Dynasty (1488-1505). With the approval of NCHA, joint efforts between research institutes and a local museum will be made to carry out further archaeological investigations involving the two shipwrecks in three phases for about a year. __________________ ShanghaiEye focuses on producing top-quality contents. Nobody knows SHANGHAI better than us. Please subscribe to us ☻☻☻ __________________ For more stories, please click ■ What’s up today in Shanghai, the most updated news of the city ■ Amazing Shanghai, exploring the unknown corners of the city, learning the people, food and stories behind them ■ What Chinese people’s lives are like during the post COVID-19 period ■ Views of foreign scholars on China and its affairs ■ Foreign faces in Shanghai, people living in this city sharing their true feelings ■ Mini-docs showing why China is the country it is today __________________ ☎Leave us messages if you have any suggestions or questions! Thank you!