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Nearly 1,000 cultural relics have been recovered from shipwrecks dating back to the Ming Dynasty — from 1368-1644 — including porcelain and pottery, copper coins, and deer antlers, China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) said in a release Thursday. 

The underwater excavation of the shipwrecks began last year and shows that people from the Ming Dynasty used the South China Sea, known as the ancient Maritime Silk Road, as an important trade route, Guan Qiang, deputy head of the NCHA, said. 

The wrecks were first discovered in 2022, roughly 5,000 feet below the surface near the northwest continental slope of the South China Sea.

A total of 890 relics like coins, pottery and porcelain were found in the first shipwreck and 38, including pottery, porcelain, turban shells and lumber, were excavated from the second wreck.

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A total of 890 relics like coins, pottery and porcelain were found in the first shipwreck and 38, including pottery, porcelain, turban shells and lumber, were excavated from the second wreck. (NCHA/Handout via Xinhua)

The excavators used the manned Deep Sea Warrior submersible to retrieve the items from the shipwrecks. 

The first ship appeared to mainly export porcelain while the second imported wood. 

The ships were found 10 nautical miles apart, according to FOX Weather. 

The excavators used the manned Deep Sea Warrior submersible to retrieve the items from the shipwrecks.  (NCHA/Handout via Xinhua)

“The well-preserved relics are of high historical, scientific and artistic value. It may be a world-class archaeological discovery in the deep sea,” Yan Yalin, China’s State Administration of Cultural Heritage archaeological director said after the ships were first discovered.

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A preliminary judgment of the cultural relics found in the water after the ships were discovered shows they are believed to be from the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty from 1506 to 1521.

Some of the relics found on two Ming Dynasty-era shipwrecks.   (NCHA/Handout via Xinhua)

Numerous logs were also found, which were of similar size and neatly stacked, on the other ship. Some items on this ship possibly dated back to the reign of Emperor Hongzhi (1488-1505).

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The agency said it was the first time ancient ships sailing and returning to the same sea area had been discovered in the country. 

The excavation of the shipwrecks is connected to China’s territorial claims on the South China Sea with its “nine-dash-line” policy, which has been disputed in international court. 

FOX Weather’s Chris Oberholtz contributed to this report.