400 year old ship found in China

[Strengthandhonour]

400 year old ship found in China
he ruins of a four hundred year old cargo ship have been discovered by archeologists in the Southern shores of China.

Archeologists have found clay vats and wooden bowls from the ship's reservoir which are said to belong to Ming dynasty, ruling from 1368 to 1644 in China.

The ruins of the ship have been discovered by GPS system and near Guangdong shores - on the south coast of China - announced Dr. Wei Jun from Beijing Archeology College.

The ship is 18 meters long and was found 20 meters deep in the sea, ISNA reported.

According to preliminary archeological investigations, the ruins are estimated to be four centuries old.

source: Press TV

[Menydh]

China was during the Ming Dinasty and until the early XIVth century the greatest naval power. The largest vessels of the Ming Dinasty are reported to have been up to 400 feet long and composed of up to 9 masts!

A brief account of the Voyages of Zhen He: Traditional History: The Ming Voyages
Another brief account: European Voyages of Exploration - The Ming Dynasty

But an imperial decision to limit the lenghts of these sea voyages, in an attempt to prevent any foreign influence entering China, gave Portugal the lead over the seas, starting the Age of the Discoveries and the start of Europe's dominance and expansion in the World.

By the way, the magnetic compass, so usefule in navigation, is a Chinese invention of which the first reference is found in the early years of the first millenium. This Chinese compass pointed to the South, not to the North.

An early Chinese compass

[Strengthandhonour]

I always found this very interesting.
The Chinese, willing to give away such power to preserve culture and avoid keeping away foreign influence from reaching them.