Marine Cultural Heritage Institute to Launch Excavation of Three Kingdoms Era Shipwrecks

Underwater Excavation Survey in Mado Waters, Taean-gun

The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage will conduct an underwater excavation survey in the waters around Mado (馬島), Taean-gun, Chungnam, from the 21st of this month until the end of September. This sea route has long been known as Nanhaengnyang (難行梁), meaning a difficult passage due to its treacherous waterways. Despite the risk of maritime accidents, it was a necessary route during the Goryeo and Joseon periods to transport grain collected as taxes from Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, and Jeolla provinces to Gaegyeong and Hanyang.

Since 2009, the Maritime Cultural Heritage Institute has conducted nine underwater excavation surveys until 2019, discovering three Goryeo ships (Mado 1~3 ships), one Joseon ship (Mado 4 ship), and over 10,000 artifacts from the Three Kingdoms to Joseon periods. In 2018, they also recovered three Baekje earthenware pieces and ten Baekje roof tiles dating from the 4th to 5th centuries.

Pottery and roof tiles from the Three Kingdoms period recovered from the Mado sea area in Taean in 2018.

The additional excavation will take place at the site where Baekje earthenware and roof tiles were found and in the southern waters of the 2019 trial excavation area. A representative from the institute stated, "We expect to uncover previously undiscovered ships from the Three Kingdoms period," adding, "We will continue to carry out systematic underwater excavation surveys to restore and study ancient maritime history."