Sunday 19 December 2010

More about the ancient sunken ship from the Yuan Dynasty - IV - 14 December 2010

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Today we continue our report on the salvage work of the sunken vessel in Heze of east China's Shandong Province. A total of 117 ancient items have been brought up and sorted out. So, what's the next step in the preservation of these relics? Let's find out.
Of the 117 unearthed pieces, 45 bigger items have been cleaned and moved into the Heze Museum for exhibition. The other 72 pieces were transported into the warehouse of the museum for further preservation.
Most have gone through special treatment in order to protect them from exposure to the outside environment. Two wooden antiques dating to the Yuan Dynasty are soaked in water to prevent them from dehydrating.
The next huge challenge faced by experts is to repair these artifacts. No archeological discovery of this size has come up in Heze before, so the lack of high-end technology and experienced professionals are big obstacles for the project. To meet this challenge, the Heze Museum has contacted top-notch archeologists from home and abroad seeking their help.

Judging from both the number and quality of the salvaged relics, archeologists have described the Heze sunken vessel as a treasure ship. The local government of Shandong will apply to have the discovery listed as one of the ten major archeological discoveries in China in 2010.

Source: CNTV

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