Korean underwater archaeologists launch joint excavation of shipwrecks off Vietnam

Survey target area

 
The National Research Institute of Maritime Heritage Carries on the Underwater Excavation in Bình Châu Bay

The first underwater excavation in foreign country; joint excavation with the Vietnam National Museum of History at waters off Châu Thuận , ‘Tomb of ancient shipwrecks’(3. 5.-3. 31.)

The National Research Institute of Maritime Heritage (NRIMH, Director General: Lee Eun-Seok), an affiliate of the Korea Heritage Service will carry on the underwater excavation at Quảng Ngãi Province, Bình Châu Bay, and the waters off Châu Thuận, with the Vietnam National Museum of History (Director General: Nguyễn Văn Đoàn). 

The project aims to enhance the exchange and cooperation in the area of cultural heritage between both countries, investigating the historical footprints of maritime silk road in Asia. It is of significance as the first underwater excavation in foreign country for the NRIMH and meaningful collaboration of developed underwater excavation skills of Korea applied to plentiful underwater cultural heritage of Vietnam. 
 

Chinese Tang Dynasty porcelain sherds excavated from Vietnamese waters

Bình Châu Bay, the target area, took a role as a important layover from ancient China and Japan to Southeast Asia, India and South Asia through South China Sea. Based on the remains of ancient shipwrecks such as Châu Tân (8-9 century) and Bình Châu (13-14 century) and ceramics from Tang, Ming and Qing dynasties and ancient anchors recovered from the area, it is already considered a repository of underwater cultural heritage, called ‘Tomb of Ancient Shipwrecks’. 

The Korean researchers plans to dive and remove the silts to see the shipwreck and check its condition by their own eyes which was already found by Vietnamese researchers. 

The NRIMH expects that this joint excavation can be the opportunity of academic sharing that sophisticated underwater excavation skills of Korea accumulated for 50 years from various excavations such as Shinan shipwreck, can be shared with Vietnam. In addition, it takes its best to reveal the maritime network in Asia which is buried underwater and show the excellence of Korea underwater archaeology, with the success of upcoming project.