Monday, 24th December 2007 (1229 views)

Pots made of gold are among the initial finds from the wreckage of a 13th century merchant ship raised by the Chinese, according to reports.

The 800-year-old ship has been found at the bottom of the South China Sea and, in addition to porcelain and silver and tin pots, gold vessels have also been discovered.

Some reports suggest that archaeologists are anticipating finding tens of thousands more artefacts than those that have already been uncovered during the initial exploratory stages.

The gold containers discovered so far are among 4,000 unveiled from the 30-metre boat, known as Nanhai One. Some believe the finding could reveal the past existence of a marine 'silk road'.

Huang Zongwei, professor at Guangdong's Sun Yat-Sen University, said: "The marine silk road, like the ancient silk road which connected China with south, west and central Asia and Europe, was also a bridge linking eastern and western cultures."

According to news provider CCTV, the ship will be placed in a museum where the water pressure is the same as that where it was found.

 

« Back to Gold News stories

 

The news feeds on this site are independently provided by Adfero Limited © and do not represent the views or opinions of the World Gold Council.