Relic protection authorities and border police have been put on
the alert for thieves eyeing the sunken Nanhai No 2 ship, following
the recent salvage of a similarly treasure-laden ancient vessel on
Saturday.
Experts with the Guangdong provincial relic protection authority
said the 400-year-old Nanhai No 2, which sank off the South China
Coast during the Ming Dynasty period (1368-1644) and was discovered
by two fishing boats in May this year, carried nearly 10,000 pieces
of porcelain.
The waters where the shipwreck lies is thought to be shallow
compared with that of the Nanhai No 1 - lifted on Saturday - and
therefore easier for illegal salvaging.
Potential thieves can easily reach the depth of the Nanhai No 2
with diving gear and help themselves to the treasures onboard,
border official Zhu Zhixiong said.
Zhu added that a global positioning device costing 20,000 yuan
was bought to help keep watch on the area for any suspicious
activity.
The border police of Shantou in Guangdong Province have been
protecting the sunken vessel against any theft for more than 200
days since its discovery.
The Guangzhou Daily also quoted an official saying that attempts
to steal Chinaware on the Nanhai No 2 have been happening from time
to time.
The treasures, reportedly able to fetch millions of dollars in
auction houses, have attracted many theft attempts.
Zhu said he has even received calls asking him to turn a blind
eye to any items stolen from the ship in return for a cut of their
sale. He refused the offers.
Experts with the Underwater Archeological Centre at the National
Museum of China estimated that there are at least 2,000 ancient
ships lying in the South China Sea, which used to be one of the
busiest international sea lanes in ancient times.
In the past two decades, treasure hunters from both at home and
abroad have been trying to salvage chinaware and other treasures
from ancient Chinese boats submerged in the waters.
(China Daily December 25, 2007)