Vietnam: Newly discovered wreck stolen by fishermen

A wooden shipwreck has been discovered in the shallows of Quang Ngai province by local fishermen. This is the third vessel located in the region in recent times, located just 100m from the previous finds, recorded last year near the village of Chau Bien Binh Thuan.

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Unfortunately, the shallow depth of 1.5m became a curse for the found vessel. As soon as the news of the discovery spread around the area, more than 30 fishing boats with crews appeared in the area, ready for an express exploration of the find.

In the fervour of the fight for the “treasure” in the form of pottery (constituting the cargo) and other objects of everyday use, there was no shortage of quarrels and clashes between the fishermen. Probably their imagination was fired by the thought of the value of the “shells” they brought to the surface. From the wreck found in the region last year, more than 4,000 artefacts were excavated, some of which dated back to the 13th century!

In the haste and fervour of the battle, the fishermen acted very chaotically, using hastily prepared tools. As a result, many ceramic pieces were devastated and broken. Once the site had been looted, some tried to scour the surrounding seabed, trying to find pieces that had been buried by the sea bed.

“We managed to find many antiques, unfortunately people went crazy fighting among themselves and vandalised many beautiful vessels… it’s a terrible shame,” – said Nguyen Van Thin, one of the more reserved fishermen

Van Thin, reporting on the incident to the local press, confirmed that only a small part of the wreck had been found on the surface and that the exposed wooden structure looked quite good. This may suggest that all is not yet lost and that Vietnamese archaeologists will still have something to work on. According to preliminary assessments, the cargo from the wreck, dates back to the 16th-17th centuries.

Once the whole situation was brought under control by the police and the relevant services, a 24-hour protection of the found wreck was ordered. At the moment a team of archaeologists and museum workers is preparing an action plan to deal with the discovery as soon as possible.

Source: thanhiennews.com