AWW and RMD Confirm Recovery of Biggest Shipwreck Cargo of Ming Porcelain (Indonesia)

Arqueonautas Worldwide – Arqueologia Subaquática, S.A. (AWW), in direct cooperation with RM Discovery Inc. (RMD), confirms after successful completion of a marine archaeological reconnaissance operation, the recovery of the biggest ever found shipwreck cargo of Ming porcelain. The Chinese merchant ship from the time of the Wanli Emperor sank around 1580 in over 50 meters depth approximately 150 km off the Indonesian coast.

‘Based on conservative estimates a cargo of roughly 700,000 pieces of porcelain is expected. According to experts the value of the cargo could therefore be around US$ 70 Mio.’, says Arqueonautas Worldwide CEO Nikolaus Count Sandizell out of Jakarta.

‘The intrinsic value of the ‘Wanli’ shipwreck confirmed by the Arqueonautas team will allow us to interest potential investors so that by late summer the extensive salvage operations can begin. For us it is crucial to carry out this operation in a scientifically sound manner whilst being economically viable, which is guaranteed by AWW’s expertise.’, states Oliver Herrmann, director of RM Discovery Inc.

The protection of World Maritime Heritage is a focus of AWW’s activities. ‘This unusually large ship for the late 16th century makes this project a unique challenge for our team from a cultural, historical and commercial point of view.‘, informs Count Sandizell.

Arqueonautas Worldwide – Arqueologia Subaquática, S.A. was cofounded in 1995 by Nikolaus Count Sandizell and has since become the leading commercial marine archeological institution for shallow-water operations (up to 60 meters). Arqueonautas recovers the cargo of endangered historical shipwrecks under strict academic criteria. The Portuguese shareholding company has a paid up capital of EUR 5 million split in 5 million shares. The company’s mission is to protect world maritime heritage and advance learning through scientifically conducted marine archaeological projects, aiming for a fair return on extended venture capital for investors. To date, Arqueonautas has discovered more than 300 shipwrecks in Africa, Asia and South America. Fifteen historical shipwrecks have been excavated and approximately 100,000 coins and over 10,000 artefacts have been recovered, documented and published.

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Source: businesswire , June 15 , 2011; Image: wanlicargo