Authorities report origin of ancient ship appearing in Hoi An sea after storm

The incident of an ancient ship estimated to be hundreds of years old emerging on Hoi An beach continues to attract public attention. Authorities have put up warning lines and informed their superiors about the incident.

Compared to the morning of November 8, the ancient ship has been covered with a lot of sand - Photo: BD

On November 10, the Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center announced that it had reported the current status and preliminary information about the ship suspected to be an ancient ship that appeared on the beach of Hoi An Tay ward (Da Nang city), causing a stir in the past few days.

Possibility of ancient ship hundreds of years old

According to the Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center, the shipwreck relic is currently located in the coastal area of ​​Thinh My, Hoi An Tay ward.

In 2023, after discovering the relic, the authorities investigated, promoted the procedures and received approval from the People's Committee of Quang Nam province (old) to conduct an emergency excavation in February 2024.

In 2024, the Hoi An Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Conservation (now the Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center) coordinated with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University), Quang Nam Provincial Museum (now Da Nang Museum) to conduct an in-depth survey.

Initial results show that the ship is large in size, has a strong structure; is made from durable and strong wood such as Lagerstroemia (sang le), Kien Kien and pine. The ship uses a sealant to prevent water penetration.

Main cabin of an ancient ship in Hoi An - Photo: BD

The ship's structure allows for long voyages such as commercial activities at sea or naval warfare.

For some objective reasons, the absolute C14 dating results of the ship have not yet given results.

However, based on factors such as the location where the ship was discovered deep inland, the deep similarities in structural features, construction techniques and building materials with traditional East Sea shipwrecks discovered in Southeast Asian waters... it can be concluded that the ship is highly likely to date from the late 14th to the 16th century.

The ancient ship was exposed many times and then covered by sand.

The Hoi An World Heritage Conservation Center said that after its first appearance in late 2023, the wooden ship relic was buried deep under the sea sand.

Recently, during the heavy rain and floods caused by storm No. 13 (Fengshen storm), waves caused serious coastal erosion, revealing the ship again.

On the morning of November 8, the Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center surveyed and recorded the scene, revealing many details of the ship.

The width of the ship is measured to be more than 5m, the length of the exposed part is currently measured to be 17.4m and the length may not be complete because it is still buried under sand; details of rafters, planks, partitions, blocks... are quite clearly shown.

The ancient ship continues to attract the curiosity of many people - Photo: BD

The current position of the ship, the sea level rises and falls every day, causing the ship to be filled with sand and then appear frequently.

The center has taken some temporary protection measures such as placing no-entry signs in the area where the ship is located and contacting some local people for support...

Over the past few days, the ship's location has been cordoned off, and authorities have taken measures to prevent any activities from affecting the scene while awaiting the next steps.

As reported by Tuoi Tre Online , on the morning of November 8, many people went to the sea in Hoi An and discovered the ship that had surfaced at the end of 2023, clearly visible on the sea surface in Cam An ward, in the old city of Hoi An. The incident attracted great attention, many people from far away came to observe the shape of this mysterious relic.

Due to the constant ebb and flow of the tide, the ship was exposed in the morning and then submerged in the sea in the afternoon. By the morning of November 10, when the ship surfaced again, the sand had silted up considerably more than it had in the previous two days.

Thai Ba Dung

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-quan-chuc-nang-bao-cao-nguon-goc-tau-co-xuat-hien-o-bien-hoi-an-sau-bao-20251110123750518.htm