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The Xuande\u00a0<\/em>site was found in 1996, some 60 nautical miles from the Terengganu coast. It is proposed that a small barge was carrying out a task for China\u2019s Emperor before it went down. \u201cSix porcelain items recovered from the sunken barge were with markings of Emperor Xuande, who ruled from 1425 to 1436,\u201d according to Sten Sjostrand, who discovered and named the site. \u201cWe also found porcelain items believed to be made in the 16th century.\u201d<\/p>\n The most unusual thing\u00a0about this site is that it did not have any remains of a ship’s structure. The \u201cwrecksite\u201d is located 30 nautical miles north of the island of Pulau Tioman, Malaysia and in 53 meters of water.<\/p>\n While the outline of the finds produced an acoustic image of a seagoing vessel, approximately 28 x 8 meters in size, on site investigation did not produced any evidence of timber. Scattered ceramics on the surface of the seabed outlined the shape of a wreck but the finds extended only a few inches into the muddy sea floor. Despite extensive scanning, no wood fragments were found.<\/p>\n The ceramics recovered from this site include examples of at least 20 different designs of Chinese ware, along with some Thai pieces, and the age of the 250 recovered pieces is controversial.<\/p>\n The ceramics recovered include Chinese blue and white porcelain and monochrome white-glazed wares, Sisatchanalai celadon and underglaze black decorated wares, as well as Sukhothai underglaze black decorated bowls. Seven of the Chinese pieces display the reign mark of the emperor Xuande. These pieces were probably made after the end of that reign, however, sometime in the late 15th century or mid 16th century. The Sukhothai samples, with \u201csolar whorl\u201d motifs, tend to confirm this later date. The whorl design is believed to belong to the later years of the Sukhothai kilns<\/p>\n It was therefore concluded that the ship sunk in the middle of the 16th century but carried a few ceramics that were already old. The find lends some evidence for the concept of an early trade in antique ceramics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Xuande\u00a0site was found in 1996, some 60 nautical miles from the Terengganu coast. It is proposed that a small barge was carrying out a task for China\u2019s Emperor before it went down. \u201cSix porcelain items recovered from the sunken … Continue reading