'Silk Road' ship to be salvaged
7/1/2006 8:44
An 800-year-old ship from China's "Marine Silk Road" is being salvaged in
a rare operation - encasing the entire ship, its relics and silt - and raising
them in a box.
The excavation will take place in a water-filled, glassed-in
museum on land, and visitors can watch - a first for marine
archeology.
Called Nanhai No. 1, meaning South Sea, it is considered one of
the most precious ancient ships found thus far in the world's oceans.
The
sunken ship, which dates to the early Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), was the
first ancient vessel discovered on the "Marine Silk Road" of the South China
Sea, hence the name, Nanhai No. 1.
The total salvage cost will be over 100
million yuan (US$12.3), according to a Beijing Morning Post report.
Chinese
experts will make a huge steel box to salvage the ship along with its silt.
Usually, archeologists would excavate the relics on the sunken boat first and
then salvage the craft.
Experts have spent three years developing the salvage
plan, an unprecedented approach worldwide, said Zhang Bai, deputy director of
the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
Zhang said the ship, together
with its relics and the silt that covers the craft will be removed altogether to
a specially built museum for meticulous excavation.
Nanhai No. 1, discovered
accidentally in 1987, is located 20 sea miles west of Hailing Island of
Yangjiang City in south China's Guangdong Province. It is buried 20 meters
deep.
The ship, over 25 meters long, is the largest cargo ship discovered
from the Song Dynasty so far.
Green glazed porcelain plates, tin pots, blue
porcelains and other antiques were found during initial exploration.
Archeologists estimate there are 50,000 to 70,000 relics onboard.
Two meters
of silt have helped protect the treasures and the ship for 800 years, but are
also creating excavation difficulties.
"We could see nothing in the water,
and could only work by touch in the silt," said Zhang Wanxing, a marine
archeologist.
At last, experts decided to salvage the ship and silt together.
Guangdong Province has earmarked 150 million yuan to build a "Marine Silk Road
Museum," for the ship.
To ensure environmental and pressure changes do not
damage the relics, the ship, encased in silt, will be put in a huge glass pool.
The water temperature, pressure and conditions will be the same as on the sea
bed.
Xinhua
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