The release of archaeological results from two sunken ships confirms the historical facts of Chinese ancestors developing and utilizing the South China Sea
2024-06-24
On October 23, 2022, while the manned submersible "Deep Sea Warrior" was carrying out its 500th dive mission, a call from the divers was transmitted to the cockpit of the mother ship. Later, it was confirmed that these pottery jars came from ancient sunken ships that had been dormant for hundreds of years in the northwest slope of the South China Sea at a depth of about 1500 meters. On May 21 of the next year, the National Cutural Heritage Administration, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the People's Government of Hainan Province, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly held a press conference to release major progress in deep-sea archaeology: two ancient sunken ships were found in the South China Sea, and the "Deep Sea Warrior" manned submersible placed the first underwater permanent surveying and mapping base point of the sunken ship at the southwest corner of the core accumulation area of the No. 1 sunken ship, and conducted a preliminary search survey and image recording. As a result, the archaeological investigation of ancient sunken ship sites No.1 and No.2 on the northwest slope of the South China Sea has officially begun, opening a new chapter in Chinese deep-sea archaeology. From May 2023 to June 2024, the Archaeological Research Center of the National Cutural Heritage Administration, the Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the China (Hainan) South China Sea Museum jointly carried out underwater archaeological surveys in three stages using the manned submersible "Deep Sea Warrior" and the unmanned underwater remote control submersible "Shiziyu" on the northwest slope of the South China Sea. "The underwater archaeological work of the sunken ships" No.1 and No.2 "on the northwest slope of the South China Sea marks a significant milestone in China's underwater archaeology from nearshore to deep sea." Guan Qiang, deputy director of the National Cutural Heritage Administration, said. On June 13 this year, the National Cutural Heritage Administration released the latest archaeological results of the No. 1 and No. 2 shipwrecks on the northwest slope of the South China Sea in Qionghai, Hainan Province: the distribution range of the two shipwrecks was explored, the topographic and geomorphic characteristics of the seabed in the sea area where the shipwrecks were located were obtained, the stratigraphic accumulation and burial conditions in some areas and important locations of the shipwrecks were preliminarily mastered, the age and conservation status of the shipwrecks were basically clarified, 928 pieces (sets) of water pottery, porcelain, logs, etc. were extracted, and a number of technical specifications, strategic requirements and work processes for deep-sea archaeological investigations were formulated and summarized. According to Song Jianzhong, a research librarian of the Archaeological Research Center of the National Cutural Heritage Administration, the archaeological survey confirmed that the No.1 shipwreck site consists of a core area, a ring area and a strip area. The core area is a pile of orderly and neatly stacked cargo, with a length of about 37 meters and a width of about 11 meters. The difference between the highest and lowest points is about 3 meters. The number of relics in the circular and strip areas is small and scattered. The hull is located in the core area of the site, with no upper structure remaining. Most of the remaining parts are buried and covered, and only partial positions have exposed partition boards, bottom plates, etc. More than 10 compartments can be seen, and 2 suspected mast structures have been found. "The relics of the No. 1 sunken ship site include but are not limited to pottery, porcelain, bronze, iron, bamboo and wood, with a quantity of over 100000 pieces. A total of three stages of investigation have extracted 890 pieces (sets) of porcelain, including blue and white porcelain, blue and white glaze, white glaze, blue and white glaze, red and green color, enamel, monochrome glaze, and plain tricolor, as well as sauce glazed pottery, copper coins, and other cultural relics. Among them, some porcelain have inscriptions on the outer bottom, with inscriptions such as' Fu ',' Zheng ',' Taiping ', and' Wu Wen's self-made '." Song Jianzhong said. The No. 2 shipwreck site consists of a core area and scattered areas. The core area is approximately 21 meters long from north to south and 8 meters wide from east to west. It is mainly composed of neatly arranged and orderly stacked logs, as well as a small amount of ceramics, lead and tin ware, etc. Scattered areas include ceramics, shells, and scattered logs. A total of 38 artifacts, including logs, porcelain, pottery, salamander shells, deer antlers, etc., were extracted from the No. 2 sunken ship site through three stages of archaeological investigation. The site of the No.1 and No.2 shipwrecks on the northwest slope of the South China Sea is located at the bottom of the South China Sea between Hainan Island and the the Xisha Islands, about 150 kilometers northwest of Sanya. With regard to the determination of its age, relevant experts believe that through the comparative analysis of the shape and decorative patterns of the objects, the blue and white porcelain of the No. 1 shipwreck site is similar to that of the kiln site in Jingdezhen in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Laoniujiao in Fujian, No. 1 Panshiyu in the the Xisha Islands, and No. 1 Philippine Lina in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, and similar objects in the tomb of Fuyu in Jilin in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. Its age is in the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty; The blue and white porcelain decoration of the No. 2 sunken ship site features a typical Ming Hongzhi era, with immortal riding patterns. In the view of Song Jianzhong, a very important piece of information from the third stage of underwater archaeological investigation on the sunken ship sites of No. 1 and No. 2 on the northwest slope of the South China Sea is the discovery of red and green colored bowls made in the year of Bingyin. "Previously, we initially speculated that the age of the sunken ship No. 1 was during the Zhengde period based on the outflow porcelain, and the porcelain made in the year of Bingyin confirmed the age of the sunken ship No. 1.". Regarding the shipping route, some experts speculate that the starting port of the No. 1 sunken ship may be Fujian or Guangdong. After sailing along the coast of southern China, it crossed the northwest slope of the South China Sea from the eastern part of Hainan Island and reached a trade transfer point in Southeast Asia along the central and southern parts of Vietnam. The No. 2 sunken ship loaded logs at a trade transfer point in Southeast Asia, passed through central and southern Vietnam, crossed the northwest slope of the South China Sea, passed through the eastern part of Hainan Island, and arrived at Chinese ports. Song Jianzhong stated that among the two sunken ships, one shipment mainly consisted of exported porcelain, while the other shipment mainly consisted of wood imported from overseas. This is the first time in China that ancient ships have been discovered sailing and returning in the same sea area, fully proving the importance of this route. At the same time, it reproduces the prosperous scene of maritime trade in the mid Ming Dynasty, which helps to deeply explore and fully understand the two-way flow of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Guan Qiang stated that the sunken ships No.1 and No.2 on the northwest slope of the South China Sea are relatively well preserved, with a large number of cultural relics and a relatively clear age. They are important witnesses to China's ancient maritime Silk Road trade and cultural exchanges, and most importantly, they have demonstrated the historical facts of China's ancestors developing and utilizing the South China Sea. They have made contributions to China's maritime history, ceramic history, overseas trade history, and even the study of the Silk Road. The integration of deep-sea technology and underwater archaeology. Deep sea archaeology is a cutting-edge field in the world of underwater archaeology research and an important direction for the development of underwater archaeology in China. In recent years, with significant breakthroughs in deep-sea technology represented by deep diving technology in China, deep-sea archaeology in China has rapidly started and developed. Among the top ten national archaeological discoveries for 2023 announced in March this year, the No. 1 and No. 2 sunken ship sites on the northwest slope of the South China Sea were selected. According to relevant experts, the archaeological investigation of the site is the first time that Chinese underwater archaeologists have applied archaeological theories, techniques, and methods, strictly following the requirements of underwater archaeology work regulations, and using deep diving technology and equipment to conduct systematic and scientific archaeological investigations, records, and research on ancient sunken ship sites located at depths of one kilometer underwater. This fully demonstrates the integration of China's deep-sea technology and underwater archaeology, marking the world's advanced level of deep-sea archaeology in China and an important milestone in the development of underwater archaeology in China. In shallow waters near the shore or on islands and reefs, divers mainly use scuba diving technology and equipment for archaeological research. In deep-sea archaeology, due to the water depth far exceeding the pressure that the human body can withstand, it is necessary to use submersibles to reach the sunken ship site area. Since its delivery to the Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences at the end of 2017, the "Deep Sea Warrior" manned submersible has mainly undertaken scientific investigation tasks within the 4500 meter sea area, such as geological structure survey, underwater archaeology, emergency rescue, etc. The manned submersible "Deep Sea Warrior" played an important role in the archaeological investigation of the sunken ship sites on the northwest slope of the South China Sea. According to the reporter's understanding, for the first time, various deep-sea technologies and equipment have been applied in the deep-sea archaeological survey of the No.1 and No.2 sunken ship sites on the northwest slope of the South China Sea. The long baseline positioning system improves the accuracy of positioning navigation and position annotation; Comprehensive geophysical exploration of sunken ship ruins using submarine side scan sonar, multi beam depth measurement system, shallow layer profiler, and magnetometer; The panoramic photography stitching and 3D laser scanning of the distribution area of the sunken ship ruins were completed using a 3D laser scanner and high-definition camera; We used a submersible mud pumping and blowing device to carry out mud pumping and blowing operations on the planned cultural relics and some important areas; Using a flexible robotic arm from a submersible to extract cultural relics, a large number of samples of seabed sediments, bottom seawater, and marine organisms were collected; Exploring the path and mode of deep-sea archaeological investigation through a combination of manned and unmanned submersibles. On June 1, 2024, I went down to perform the SY686 dive. During this dive, the detection equipment we could use included depth measurement side scan, multi beam, shallow section, magnetometer, laser scanning equipment, and high-definition camera for photogrammetry. And just one year ago on June 1st, when we conducted an archaeological survey here using the SY566 submersible, there was only one type of detection equipment available at that time Chen Chuanxu, a researcher at the Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said. He stated that in the past year, he has solved technical difficulties such as high-precision positioning and navigation, large-scale deep-sea photogrammetry, and conducted research and integration applications of domestically developed multi beam and shallow section equipment. "Thanks to the country's long-term layout and accumulation in the field of deep-sea technology and equipment, we can stand on the shoulders of our predecessors, and before the new topic of deep-sea archaeology, without precedent, it took one year to find out a set of deep-sea archaeological technology and equipment system and process specifications. Based on a comprehensive summary of the results of the investigation in three stages, we will quickly prepare the archaeological work plan for the sunken ships No.1 and No.2 on the northwest slope of the South China Sea, carry out key excavations, and maximize the acquisition of rich historical information carried by the sunken ships. Carry out archaeological surveys in key areas of the South China Sea and deep-sea routes, and in conjunction with the Fourth National Cultural Relics Census, conduct orderly surveys of cultural relics in nearshore and deep-sea areas, further exploring the heritage of cultural relics under clear water. Strengthen research orientation and project awareness, conduct in-depth research on major deep-sea archaeology projects, and develop specialized technical equipment for deep-sea archaeology. The second is to strengthen the protection of sunken ship sites, and according to the work concept of original site protection, scientifically formulate plans for the protection of underwater cultural relics of sunken ships No.1 and No.2 on the northwest slope of the South China Sea, and clarify specific protection measures. Establish a multi departmental collaborative protection mechanism and strengthen surface and underwater monitoring of sunken ships and surrounding waters. The third is to deepen research, interpretation, and display utilization. Accelerate the organization and publication of archaeological data and reports, and timely disclose phased archaeological achievements to the society. Focusing on archaeological research on the Maritime Silk Road, we will continue to conduct research on topics such as navigation and shipbuilding history, providing academic support for the protection, exhibition, and utilization of underwater cultural relics. We will launch a special exhibition on deep-sea archaeology based on the China (Hainan) South China Sea Museum and the National Museum of Marine Archaeology (under preparation). (Lai Xin She)
Edit：He Chuanning Responsible editor：Su Suiyue
Source：People's Daily
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