Ming dynasty shipwrecks hide a treasure trove of artifacts in the South China Sea, excavation reveals

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Researchers used a deep-sea submersible to retrieve hundreds of artifacts, including this porcelain bowl. Divers have retrieved more than 900 artifacts from two centuries-old shipwrecks hiding in the depths of the South China Sea. In October 2022, researchers discovered the shipwrecks around 4,900 feet (1,500 meters) below the surface of the sea, which is bound by China to the north, Vietnam to the west and the Philippines to the east, according to a statement from the Chinese government. The twin wrecks, which date to the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644), sit less than a mile (1.5 kilometers) off the coast...