A significant breakthrough also emerged - a chronology was established with the discovery of a red and green colored bowl created in the year of Bingyin. The year of Bingyin, 1506, marks the start of Emperor Zhengde's reign during the mid-Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), confirming previous assessments that the No 1 sunken vessel hails from the Zhengde era (1506-1521).
"This precise dating connects the shipwreck to a specific year, improving our comprehension of its historical significance," said Song Jianzhong, a researcher at the National Center for Archaeology.