Nanhai One
{{short description|Sunken Chinese merchant ship}}
{{italic title}}
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{{Infobox ship image |Ship image = File:南海一号.JPG |Ship caption = Nanhai One model in Song City, Hangzhou }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header = |Ship country = Song dynasty |Ship flag = |Ship name = Unknown |Ship owner = |Ship ordered = |Ship builder = |Ship original cost = |Ship laid down = |Ship launched = |Ship acquired = |Ship commissioned = |Ship decommissioned = |Ship in service = |Ship out of service = |Ship renamed = |Ship struck = |Ship reinstated = |Ship honours = |Ship honors = |Ship captured = |Ship fate = Sank between 1127 and 1279 |Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header = |Header caption = |Ship type = Cargo ship |Ship tons burthen = |Ship length = {{convert|30.4|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam = {{convert|9.8|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draught = |Ship draft = |Ship hold depth = |Ship propulsion = |Ship sail plan = |Ship complement = |Ship armament = |Ship notes = }} |
The Nanhai One ({{lang-zh|t=南海一號|s=南海一号|p=Nánhǎi Yī Hào}} – South China Sea No. 1) is a Chinese merchant ship, which sank into the South China Sea during the Southern Song dynasty between 1127 and 1279.
History
The shipwreck was found in 1987 by a team from Maritime Exploration & Recoveries PLC (MER PLC) of Southampton, England, during their search for the wreck of the 18th-century ship Rhynsburg. MER PLC had a joint venture with the Guangzhou branch of the Chinese Salvage Company.
The ship is {{convert|30.4|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|9.8|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} wide, and {{convert|3.5|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in height (excluding the mast). It is the biggest ship of its kind to be found.{{cite news|last=Sommerville|first=Quentin |date=21 December 2007|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7156581.stm |title=Ancient ship raised from S China Sea|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2020-05-28}} It was the first ancient vessel discovered on the Maritime Silk Road. According to the head of the excavation project, the ship left port in southern China to trade with foreign countries and sank probably due to stormy waves. It was quickly buried by silt.
=Artifacts=
File:Yangjiang Hailing Dao Nanhai 1 Hao 2013.09.15 11-18-28.jpg]]
When the wreck was first found, about 200 pieces of porcelain from the Song dynasty were recovered, together with Song coins, about 130 kilos of silver bars, a brass kettle and a gold waist chain. These were handed to the China Salvage Company representatives, intact. At the time of the second survey, the wreck was reported to have 60,000 to 80,000 items on board.{{cite news|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-12/22/content_6341069.htm |title=China raises 800-year-old sunken ship|work=China Daily|date=22 December 2007|accessdate=2020-05-28}}
In 2007, China began to raise the ship and its artifacts. The ship was placed in a pool-type container called the "Crystal Palace" in the purpose-built Maritime Silk Route Museum. The container is 64 meters long, 40 meters wide and 23 meters high. It contains seawater and is about 12 meters in depth. Visitors are able to watch the ongoing excavation of the ship through windows on two sides of the pool.{{cite news|editor-last=Yan|editor-first=Liang |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/21/content_7286589.htm |title=Chinese team ready to salvage 800-year-old ship on "Marine Silk Road"|work=China View|agency=Xinhua News Agency|date=21 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229095509/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-12/21/content_7286589.htm|archive-date=2007-12-29}}
See also
- Huaguangjiao One
- Quanzhou ship, from the Quanzhou Bay
- Shinan ship
- Lists of shipwrecks
References
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External links
- [http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/underwater-cultural-heritage/about-the-heritage/underwater-museums/the-guangdong-maritime-silk-road-museum-nanhai-no-1-museum/ Nanhai No. 1 Museum] on the UNESCO website
{{Song dynasty topics}}
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Category:1987 archaeological discoveries
Category:Merchant ships of China
Category:Shipwrecks in the South China Sea
Category:Underwater archaeological sites
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