Archaeologists salvage 600-year-old shipwreck off Korean Peninsula, identifying new evidence of another one
South Korean underwater archaeologists have recovered the only remaining 600-year-old Joseon Dynasty-era shipwreck from the waters off Taean Island, off the central west coast of the Korean Peninsula, a minefield of ancient shipwrecks, the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage announced on the 10th.
During the salvage of the vessel, dubbed the "Mado No. 4 Sunken Ship," archaeologists also discovered new evidence of a shipwreck from the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled the Korean Peninsula before the Joseon Dynasty.
The research team evaluated the sunken Mado No. 4, discovered 150 kilometers southwest of Seoul, as "a Joseon Dynasty transport ship discovered underwater in 2015, a valuable underwater heritage item that revealed the true nature of the grain transport ship, previously only known through historical records."
In fact, the wreck contained approximately 60 wooden tablets inscribed with the characters "Naju Gwangheungchang" (羅州廣興倉), as well as 150 Buncheong porcelain pieces used for tribute, among which was the inscription "Naeseom" (內贍).
At the time, the Joseon Dynasty paid taxes to the central government in grain and other goods instead of money.
This suggests that the ship "carried grain and tribute collected in Naju, Jeolla Province, and was shipwrecked while en route to Gwanghungchang, Hanyang.
The Buncheong ware excavated from the ship was produced in the first half of the 15th century, and based on radiocarbon dating of the ship (1410-1433), it was determined to be a tax ship from the early Joseon period that sank around 1420."
Gwangheungchang was a government agency that managed the salaries of Joseon Dynasty officials, located along the Han River in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Naeseom is an abbreviation for Naeseomsi, the Joseon Dynasty government office responsible for managing royal tributes and supplies for entertaining foreign guests.
The Mado No. 4 shipwreck was excavated in 2015 and then reburied underwater for protection. This year, 600 years after its sinking, it was salvaged to mark the 10th anniversary of its excavation.
In particular, ancient ships from the Unified Silla Dynasty (one vessel, I believe, located near Ganghwa) and Goryeo (17 vessels) have been excavated and discovered in waters near the Korean Peninsula. This salvage represents the first acquisition of actual ship data from the Joseon Dynasty, making it particularly significant.
Through this investigation of Mado Ship No. 4, the research institute has identified the following characteristics of early Joseon Dynasty ships: [Of course, this study focused on a single Joseon Dynasty vessel, so generalizations cannot be made.]
▲ Unlike Goryeo ships, which had only a single central mast, Mado No. 4 ship had a double-masted structure, with masts at the fore and center. This likely increased sailing speed and facilitated maneuvering according to wind direction.
▲ While Goryeo ships assembled their foreparts (stern members) by arranging the timber vertically, Mado No. 4 ship arranged them horizontally, enhancing durability.
▲ Unlike Goryeo ships, which used a combination of large and auxiliary nails, Mado No. 4 ship precisely connected the hull using numerous small nails.
▲ Iron nails were used to repair the hull. Unlike previously discovered vessels that used wooden nails, this is the first confirmed use of iron nails in an ancient Korean ship.
The celadon bundle discovered in the waters off Mado Island is clearly the remains of a sunken Goryeo Dynasty ship.
Meanwhile, the National Maritime Heritage Research Institute, while simultaneously salvaging Mado Ship No. 4 and conducting sonar surveys of the Mado area, discovered traces of another ancient ship.
Subsequent underwater investigations uncovered two bundles of 87 celadon pieces (made around 1150-1175; 65 plates, 15 bowls, and 7 cups), wooden anchors, ropes, rice seeds, and other items, along with fragments of an ancient ship's hull and cargo supports (logs).
The composition and appearance of the artifacts revealed similarities to those of Mado Ships 1 and 2, suggesting that additional ships transporting grain and ceramics were sunk.