Large Anchors from Song and Yuan Dynasties Discovered in Seawater off Sinchang-ri, Jeju

Fifth Discovery in Korea... 3.1m Length, All Sides Smoothly Polished
Chinese Coins Including Gyeongdeokwonbo and Heeryeongwonbo Found... Evidence of Jeju Island's International Exchange

Appearance of the anchor stone being raised

A large anchor stone (a stone attached to a wooden anchor to sink it underwater) from a Chinese Song-Yuan dynasty trade ship was discovered in the waters off Sinchang-ri, Jeju.

The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage and the National Jeju Museum reported on the 24th that they conducted an underwater excavation survey from late May to July and found the large anchor stone along with Chinese ceramics and coins. The underwater site in Sinchang-ri is known for the abundant discovery of Chinese Southern Song (1127?1279) dynasty ceramics. Its existence was first revealed in 1983 when a gold ornament was found. It is presumed to have been formed by a shipwreck of a Chinese trade ship in the past.

Jeju Sinchang-ri Chulsoo Anchor Stone

The confirmed anchor stone measures 3.1 meters in length. It was found split into two pieces. Overall, it has a long diamond shape, with a thick central part tapering towards both ends. A shallow groove 22 cm long is carved in the center, and a groove about 7 cm wide for installing a fixing nail is also identified. The institute stated, "All surfaces were smoothly finished. This differs from traditional Korean anchor stones, which are made by trimming only parts of natural stones." They explained, "It is a wooden claw stone anchor (木爪石碇) style popular during the Chinese Song-Yuan period," and "It was used in combination with wooden anchor arms (hooks attached to the anchor) to moor ships."

Exhibition of an external anchor stone model at the Silk Road Museum in Guangdong Province, China (Nanhai No.1 Exhibition)

Previously, four Chinese anchor stones have been found in Korea: three in the Mado waters off Taean, Chungnam, and one in the waters of the Battle of Myeongnyang route off Jindo, Jeonnam. Their sizes are approximately 175 cm in length, 11?13 cm in thickness, and weigh 100?130 kg. The anchor stone discovered this time measures 310 cm in length, 36 cm in width at the center, 29 cm in thickness at the center, and weighs 586 kg, making it much larger and heavier. The largest Song dynasty anchor stone found so far is said to be the Nanhai No. 1 anchor stone discovered off the coast of Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province, China. That anchor stone measures 310 cm in length and weighs 420 kg. It is similar to the one found in Sinchang-ri waters, but the Sinchang-ri stone is about 1.4 times heavier.

Chinese coin

The Chinese coins found along with the anchor stone are Jingde Yuanbao (景德元寶), Xining Yuanbao (熙寧元寶), and Xuanhe Tongbao (宣和通寶). All were minted during the Northern Song dynasty (960?1127). The institute noted, "Jingde Yuanbao was confirmed along with Chinese ceramics at the site of Sujeongsa, a Goryeo temple in Jeju, and Xining Yuanbao has been found at the Gonaeri site in Jeju," adding, "The discovery of the same types of artifacts underwater indicates Jeju’s position in East Asian international exchanges via maritime routes in the past."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.