Close-up of ancient shipwreck discovered on Hoi An beach

After the storm, big waves and coastal erosion caused the hull of an ancient ship that was buried in the sea of ​​Hoi An (Da Nang City) to be exposed at low tide. This is believed to be a relic dating from the 14th-16th centuries, of special value in the study of the ancient trade route of Hoi An, once the busiest trading port in Southeast Asia.

In recent days, large waves have continuously eroded the coast of Hoi An Tay, washing away the thick layer of sand covering the area where ancient ships were once identified as buried.

When the tide recedes in the morning, the giant wooden hull of the ship, more than 5m wide and 17.4m long (and possibly even longer due to being buried in sand), is clearly visible to locals and tourists.

The ship lies parallel to the shore, many parts such as rafters, planks, bulkheads, mortise and tenon structures... are still intact.

The appearance of the relic attracted many locals and tourists to admire and take pictures from early morning.

Mr. Quang Van Quy - Deputy Director of Hoi An Cultural Heritage Management and Conservation Center said that the authorities immediately cordoned off the area, put up warning signs and warned people not to approach, in order to protect the current state of the underwater heritage.

The Center also sent a document requesting the People's Committee of Hoi An Tay Ward to coordinate in monitoring and protecting the area, to avoid people arbitrarily digging, causing damage to rare relics.

According to a report by the Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center, the ship was first discovered in December 2023 in the Thinh My area (Hoi An City, former Quang Nam Province).

At that time, only a few pieces of wood were exposed before being covered by sand again. Afterwards, the People's Committee of Quang Nam province (old) issued Official Dispatch No. 1037/UBND-KGVX dated February 7, 2024, agreeing on the policy of urgently excavating this relic. The Center coordinated with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City, and the Da Nang Museum to conduct the survey.

Preliminary results show that the ship was built with lagerstroemia, ironwood and pine, using advanced waterproofing putty, demonstrating advanced shipbuilding techniques at that time.

The strong structure, large hull, and good load-bearing capacity allow for long voyages, commercial service, or even naval battles. Although the C14 dating results are not yet complete, experts believe that the ship's age belongs to the mid-to-late 14th century to the 16th century, coinciding with the prosperous period of Hoi An trading port, the international trading center of Dai Viet.

Master Pham Phu Ngoc - Deputy Director of Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center said that the work of salvaging the ship is not too difficult, but "the biggest challenge lies in the preservation stage after bringing it ashore".

According to Mr. Ngoc, without a suitable preservation environment in terms of humidity, temperature and treatment chemicals, artifacts can quickly rot. The center is implementing temporary protection measures, while monitoring the erosion and sand deposition according to the tidal cycle.

In the context of serious coastal erosion in this area, experts say protecting the original state of the relics is a "race against time".

The Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center has proposed organizing emergency excavation and initial preservation of the relics, and at the same time recommended that the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Da Nang City direct the implementation of long-term protection measures, possibly inviting domestic and international archaeology and conservation experts, including Japanese researchers, to participate in consulting.

According to researchers, this is one of the very few ancient ships that are still quite intact discovered in Vietnam, which can help supplement data on Southeast Asian maritime trade routes during the prosperous period of Hoi An. The preservation and excavation of the ship not only has scientific value, but also helps shape the legal basis and documents serving the dossier of underwater cultural heritage of Vietnam.

“This is important evidence of ancient trading activities on the Hoi An sea route, once the busiest place in the region,” said Mr. Ngoc.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/can-canh-xac-tau-co-phat-lo-o-bai-bien-hoi-an.html