More than 10,000 coins, weapons, jewelry and other items were found at the bottom of a tributary of the Yangtze River.
The treasure was discovered in the Minjiang River in Sichuan Province about 50 kilometres south of Chengdu in Southwest China. The treasure includes a large number of gold and silver items, bronze coins and metal weapons – swords, knives and spears. The characters carved in the gold and silver utensils are still clear and the embossed patterns on the jewelry show exquisite craftsmanship.
Experts say the artifacts are at least 350 years old and date back to the Ming Dynasty. Archaeologists think the discovery confirms earlier evidence that it was the site where boats of Zhang Xianzhong, the peasant uprising leader, sank in 1646. According to several sources, more than 1,000 boats were attacked and destroyed by the emperor’s army. The Ming Dynasty ruled in China from 1368 to 1644.
“The objects have helped identify the area where the battle was fought and are direct evidence of this historical event,” Chinese archaeologist Wang Wei said.
The Sichuan government launched the archaeological expedition in January, when the dry season began. Archaeologists used several pumps to drain the river and explore hundreds of metres of the bottom. Archaeologists dug five metres down.
“The items are extremely valuable to science, history and art. They are of great significance for research into the political,economic, military and social lives of the Ming Dynasty,” says Li Boqian, an archaeologist from Peking University.
The excavation will last until April. Scientists hope to discover more artifacts.
Photo: @XHNews Subscribe to our mailing list: