Archaeological ruins solidify Wenzhou's centuries-old commercial port history

The recently unearthed archaeological ruins of Shuomen ancient port in Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang province bring alive the hustle and bustle of the Maritime Silk Road in the Song and Yuan dynasties (960-1368), local media outlets report.

The archaeological exploration and excavation was jointly carried out by the cultural relics and archaeology institutes of Zhejiang province and Wenzhou city.

The site, spanning a total length of about 400 meters and a width of 10 meters, used to be the business area of Beibu, or North Port in ancient Wenzhou, and nowadays has become a part of Wangjiang Road, an urban main road in Lucheng district.

The excavation was kicked off last year as a significant amount of cultural relics was discovered coincidently during an urban upgrading project to relieve the traffic congestion in surrounding areas.

A number of well-preserved ancient relics have been discovered, including ancient city waterways, city gates, groups of docks, brick roads, wooden promenades, wells, and ash pits.

Two shipwrecks along with tons of porcelain pieces and lacquerwares in diversified styles and forms are the most eye-catching discoveries. They can be dated from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) to the Republic of China (1912-49) and mainly fall in the Song and Yuan dynasties (960-1368).

Moreover, the discoveries unearthed the fact that Wenzhou, a coastal city, has been an important port city since ancient times and played a key role in supporting the development of the Maritime Silk Road.

(ZhongXin)