600-year-old Joseon ship recovered from seabed

"The ship's purpose was confirmed by the discovery of 152 pieces of light blue-green Buncheong stoneware, bearing the characters Naeseom, referring to the Naeseomsi, the state official responsible for managing tribute food and drink for the royal court and high-ranking officials. Grain transport ships were part of the state-run joun transport system. The cargo ships carried grain and other goods from provincial warehouses to the royal capital of Hanyang."

"The intact hull of the ship was reburied under the sand during the investigations of the past decade, but in April of this year, the National Maritime Heritage Research Institute began salvaging the hull. The operation concluded successfully last month having recovered 107 wooden components of the hull. The remaining section of hull is 39 feet long and 16 feet wide. The port side was heavily damaged when the ship capsized onto it, while the starboard side was preserved up to 11 layers high."

A 600-year-old Joseon cargo ship sank around 1420 and was recovered off South Korea's west coast. The wreck, found off Taean Island in 2015, yielded hundreds of artifacts, including 63 wooden cargo tags reading Naju Gwangheungchang, indicating departure from Naju bound for Gwangheungchang in Hanyang. The discovery of 152 light blue-green Buncheong stoneware pieces bearing Naeseom confirmed the ship's role in state tribute and grain transport. This is the first physical discovery of a segok tax-grain transport ship. Salvage recovered 107 wooden hull components; the remaining hull measures 39 by 16 feet, with the port side heavily damaged and the starboard preserved up to eleven layers, illuminating Joseon shipbuilding and twin-mast design.

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