The excavation of an ancient shipwreck discovered in Binh Son district, in the central coastal province of Quang Ngai, began on July 9.

At the excavation site 

The work covers an area of 800sq.m in Hao Hung port where the ship was found during a dredging project near the Dung Quat economic zone in 2017.  

The process, which is projected to last until September 15, is said to cost over 48 billion VND (2.06 million USD) from the State budget.

The vessel is about 30m long and 10m wide, containing ceramic items, many of which can be traced back to the Chinese Ming dynasty in the 16th century. It is located at a depth of 9 metres, and 6-7 metres from the shore.

The excavated objects will be preserved at Quang Ngai province’s museum, while the national museum and the provincial culture department will be responsible for sending a report to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

This is the seventh shipwreck discovered and excavated in Vietnam and the first without the support of foreign experts or private firms. 

According to Duong Trung Quoc, Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences, the excavation drew great attention from the Government, and it is significant to the story of historical preservation in the country.

Quang Ngai province’s coastal waters are nicknamed “the cemetery of ancient ships” due to the high number of shipwrecks discovered there.

Archaeologists believe that many of these ships may have been set on fire either accidentally by sailors or deliberately by pirates. -VNA