Artifacts are seen underwater at the Zhangzhou shipwreck site before excavation. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Zhangzhou's municipal museums in Fujian province received 91.4 percent of the artifacts recovered from a Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) shipwreck off the city's coast on Sept 28.

The handover marks the first large-scale transfer of archaeological artifacts in China since the National Cultural Heritage Administration issued trial measures on managing archaeological artifacts recovered from land and underwater sites.

Some of the recovered artifacts are housed in Zhangzhou's municipal museums. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Located off the eastern coast of Zhangzhou Gulei Port Economic Development Zone, the wreck was excavated from 2022 to 2023 by the National Centre for Archaeology, the Fujian Provincial Institute of Archaeology, and the Zhangzhou Heritage Protection Centre. The excavation recovered 17,223 artifacts.

The surviving hull is about 17 meters long and 4.5 meters wide. It is the first Yuan Dynasty vessel found in China with a fully preserved bilge keel.

Most of the recovered artifacts are Longquan celadon, a type of glazed porcelain produced at the Longquan kilns in present-day Zhejiang province. The wreck yielded the largest number of Longquan celadon artifacts ever found in a shipwreck.

Other finds include pottery jars, lead weights, and seals related to navigation and life aboard the vessel. Together, the artifacts provide material for studying Yuan Dynasty shipbuilding, navigation, maritime trade, and cultural exchange along the Maritime Silk Road.

The excavation also resulted in one software copyright and seven nationally granted patents, while advancing techniques for detailed underwater excavation in low-visibility waters.