OSLO, NORWAY—Science in Norway reports that a shipwreck carrying a cargo of eighteenth-century Chinese porcelain has been discovered nearly intact under nearly 2,000 feet of water off the coast of Norway. “We often find cargo and freight, but it’s usually broken or covered by marine growth,” said Sven Ahrens of the Norwegian Maritime Museum. “Here, whole plates were lying in stacks on the seabed,” he said. The ship had also been carrying glassware, chandeliers, and sealed crates, he added. A 3D model of the wreck and a map of the site have been constructed, and about 40 of the artifacts have been brought to the surface using a remotely operated underwater vehicle with a robotic arm fitted with suction cups. “These are not only beautiful, aesthetically impressive, and valuable finds,” said marine archaeologist Ivar Aarrestad. “They will also play an important role in improving our understanding of our economic history,” he explained. The researchers think the small cargo ship sailed in northern Europe, and picked up the Chinese porcelain in Gothenburg, Copenhagen, or Amsterdam. To read about luxury goods recovered from a seventeenth-century wreck off a small Dutch island, go to "Global Cargo."
