Published: Fall 2022
Author: Ding Yifei
The discovery of an ancient seaport in Wenzhou came in September from a construction site on the bank of Ou River in Wenzhou. In this discovery, there were stone structures resembling gangways, water locks and docks, indicating the existence of a once bustling trading port.
“Many dynasties used Wenzhou as a relay point for voyages taken by the Royal Convoys,” according to the Fang, the Director of Archaeological Society of Wenzhou.
Archaeologists used layers in the soil deposition (marked in white) to date a site. This drydock is from the Song Dynasty (A.D.1127-1279), Friday, Nov. 8, 2022. [Photo/ Yifei Ding]
The discovery was first announced in a conference, Archaeology China, hosted by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, alongside some 17 other findings around the nation.
“The earliest record of shipbuilding in Wenzhou dates back to the Sui dynasty (A.D.581-617),” said Fang, who is also a curator at the Wenzhou Museum. “By the time of Northern Song (c. A.D. 1090), as many as 600 ships were being built in a year.”
The site where a Song-era shipwreck was discovered. Due to the length of the mast (lower right), archaeologists think this ship was used in voyages far from China, Friday, Nov. 8, 2022. [Photo/ Yifei Ding]
Among the recovered artifacts were pieces of chinaware. Fang said these could be what the convoys carried during their voyages. “This type of fine china was very popular during the time and was traded around the world on the Maritime Silk Road,” he explained.
The Maritime Silk Road was a part of the larger Silk Road which took sailors across the Indian Ocean into Africa, and several cities along the coast of South China Sea have unearthed evidence of ancient ports and docks varying in sizes.
The most important findings are two shipwrecks that date back to the Southern Song era (c.A.D.1200). “We have found inscriptions on the hull of the ship that suggest the ship was made in Fujian and was suitable for long travels on the sea.”
The other shipwreck has not been excavated yet, but they expect to uncover more evidence of trading between the Chinese and Westerners, particularly Persians and Sogdians, according to Fang.
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