Chinese scientists retrieve ancient ships from depths of South China Sea
- Pottery, porcelain and coins recovered in archaeological survey of ‘unprecedented’ scale in disputed waterway
- The items were retrieved from depths of up to 3,000 metres using mass surveillance technology that could also have a military use
The team of scientists and engineers from more than 10 research institutes used mass surveillance technology, which some observers point out could also benefit the Chinese military.
Pottery, porcelain, purple-clay ware, copper coins and wooden planks were among the more than 60 artefacts detected, examined and retrieved from depths of up to 3,000 metres (nearly 2 miles), the report said.
The scale of the survey – conducted from China’s two largest research vessels – was unprecedented, the team said. Using new sonar technology and hardware, they can investigate 100 sq km (38 square miles) each day, detecting objects just a metre (3 feet) long.
The project’s lead engineering scientist, Chen Chuanxu, an associate researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, said the team was delving three times deeper than previous surveys, but with greater efficiency thanks to a close collaboration between robots and humans.