Treasure trove dating back centuries pulled from shipwreck 5,000 feet underwater

Nearly 1,000 cultural relics have been recovered from shipwrecks dating back to the Ming Dynasty — from 1368-1644 — including porcelain and pottery, copper coins, and deer antlers, China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) said in a release Thursday. 

The underwater excavation of the shipwrecks began last year and shows that people from the Ming Dynasty used the South China Sea, known as the ancient Maritime Silk Road, as an important trade route, Guan Qiang, deputy head of the NCHA, said.