Da Nang (VNA) - Heavy erosion caused by flooding and Typhoon Kalmaegi have exposed an uncovered shipwreck on the beach of Tan Thanh in Hoi An Tay ward, Da Nang city, just a short walk from the beach, offering a clear opportunity for salvage after a two-year delay.
Director of the Hoi An Centre for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation Pham Ngoc Phu said a field survey will be scheduled next week to find a solution for moving the shipwreck to the shore.
The shipwreck was found on the beach in 2023, but the rough sea and poor climate conditions have prevented any excavation work.
Initial surveys in late 2023 revealed that the ship measured roughly 15m in length and 3m in width, and was similar in shape to merchant ships used by Hoi An people in previous centuries, the centre reported.
The centre said some ancient ceramic fragments (believed to date between the 17 and 18th centuries) were found in the area earlier, and more than 20 shipwrecks found in the East Sea had been classified as dating from the 14th to 16th centuries.
Hoi An, a UNESO-recognised world heritage site, was a busy trading port in central Vietnam from the 14th century.
A shipwreck near the Cham Islands, off the coast of Hoi An, was salvaged in 1997-99, with the remains of the ship measuring 29.4m long and 7.2m wide./.
Ancient shipwreck in Hoi An reflects maritime legacy of Southeast Asia
Initial analyses revealed the vessel was constructed using Lagerstroemia (mountain crape myrtle), Hopea spp. (giam), and Pinus spp. (pine), types of wood commonly found in traditional Southeast Asian shipbuilding.
