SHARE:
MATSUURA, JAPAN—Pieces of a ship thought to date from the Mongol attempt to invade Japan 700 years ago have been discovered off the coast of Takashima Island. Divers investigated the wreckage, detected with shipboard sonar, and found port and starboard structures near the bow of the ship. Ballast stones may cover the ship’s keel. “We hope it is a Mongol invasion ship. We plan to clarify details like its structure, size, and origin by excavating further. It’s well preserved, so we expect it to carry a significant load of cargo like porcelains and weapons,” archaeologist Yoshifumi Ikeda of the University of the Ryukyus told The Asahi Shimbun. To read about previous excavations at the site, see ARCHAEOLOGY's "Relics of the Kamikaze."
