Excavation of ancient sunk vessel to launch in 2013   

“南海一号”整体发掘预计明年启动

宋代沉船“南海一号”的发掘进度为世人瞩目。广东海上丝绸之路博物馆副馆长黄刘生3日向中新社记者透露，“南海一号”整体发掘方案将在年底敲定，预计明年上半年启动实施。

Guangzhou (CNS) -- The raising of the Nanhai 1, a ship that sank during the Song Dynasty (960–1279), is anticipated for early 2013, revealed Deputy Curator Huang Liusheng at the Maritime Silk Road Museum on Sunday.

The discovery of the ocean-going merchant ship in the summer of 1987 was greeted by much excitement It is regarded as the earliest, biggest and best preserved vessel among all such recovered treasures in the world.

Its excavation is now China's largest underwater archaeological project. The ship body was refloated in 2007 and has been on display in its special Maritime Silk Road Museum since 2009. Yet the efforts to unearth the rotten iron caissons failed twice.

It might take tens of years to excavate the whole vessel, cultural relic experts say.

Some 22 reporters, from Korean and Malaysian media offices in China visited the museum and took in the example of ancient nava architecture.