HOI AN: Severe coastal erosion caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi exposed a centuries-old shipwreck in Vietnam, providing a narrow window to salvage what experts say could be a historically significant find.
Initially discovered in 2023 off the coast of Hoi An, the at least 17.4m vessel – whose heavy wood-ribbed hull survived hundreds of years of rough seas almost perfectly intact – was resubmerged before authorities could reclaim it.
Experts have not yet dated the wreck, but preliminary findings suggest it was built between the 14th and 16th centuries – when UNESCO-listed Hoi An was at the centre of a thriving regional trade in silk, ceramics and spices.
“We are currently preparing to apply for an emergency excavation (permit),” Pham Phu Ngoc, director of the Hoi An Centre for the Preservation of World Cultural Heritage, told AFP on Monday (Nov 10) after the wreck resurfaced following the passage of Typhoon Kalmaegi last week.
“The discovery of this ancient ship is clear evidence of Hoi An’s significant historical role in regional trade,” he said, adding that more of the ship had been exposed this time “which could provide us with more information”.
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