900 Pieces of Cultural Relics Discovered of Two Ancient Shipwrecks in Southern China

China's National Cultural Heritage Authority has discovered more than 900 pieces of antiquities that were excavated from the wrecks of two ancient ships dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644) near the continental slope in the northwest of the South China Sea, at a depth of about 1,500 meters. The excavation work was carried out during the period from 2023 to 2024 under the joint efforts of research institutes and a local museum, where a total of 890 pieces of antiquities were extracted from the wreck of the first ship, including pieces of ceramics and pottery, as well as copper coins. As for the wreck of the second ship, 38 ancient artifacts were recovered, including wood, ceramics, pottery products, deer antlers, and others. Vice President of the Chinese National Cultural Heritage Authority, Guan Qiang said: The discovery provides evidence that Chinese ancestors developed, used and traveled to and from the South China Sea, as the two wrecks served as important witnesses to trade and cultural exch anges along the ancient Maritime Silk Road. According to Guan, this deep-sea archaeological investigation, which integrates Chinese deep-sea science and technology and underwater archaeology, represents the country's world-class achievement in deep-sea archaeology. Source: Qatar News Agency