We all know something about archaeology, but when most people talk about archaeology, what they think is that archaeologists try their best to open tombs or get close to ancient buildings for observation and research. But today we are going to talk about underwater archaeology, which is also a new archaeological way now. It is not limited to excavating cultural relics on the ground, but to go into the water to find ships that sank in the long river of history and open another new world.

China culture is extensive and profound. During these five thousand years, many precious cultural relics have been preserved. These rare treasures have been valued by people in the past and now, and are often shipped to all parts of the world as gifts from various countries. In that era when there were no planes, water transportation was the main means of transportation to various countries, but the sea was sometimes ruthless, which caused many ships to be submerged and treasures to sink to the bottom of the sea.

Driven by some factors, underwater archaeology has become a new archaeological form. In the process of launching, our archaeological team salvaged four British sunken ships and found that they were all from Yuanmingyuan, but then we heard some unfair voices from Britain. Let's take a look together.

Because a man opened the door of underwater archaeology in China

For a long time, China people have not conducted underwater archaeology. The main reason is that the technology is not enough. You know, underwater is not like land. After all, water is not a place where people often move, and there are many potential dangers. If you want to carry out underwater archaeology, you need not only technical support, but also great efforts in equipment, and you must have enough understanding of the topography and landforms in the water, rich knowledge of historical geography and high requirements for professionals.

These difficulties have been hindering the development of underwater archaeology in China. It was a man who broke this situation. He is a foreigner named Mike Hatch. Mike Hatch is not a professional archaeologist, but an explorer from England. Diving into the bottom of the sea to find the sleeping treasure is his greatest pleasure. He took this as his career, and with his professional diving knowledge, he went to the sea again and again to salvage sunken ships in past wars, hoping to get unexpected gains.

When he heard that there were many shipwrecks in the South China Sea of China, he came here to look for Taixing in the Qing Dynasty. It is said that "Taixing" was a merchant ship of the Qing Dynasty, which was the treasure of China at that time and was ready to be shipped abroad. After the accident, it sank to the bottom of the sea with a large number of exquisite porcelain. The news immediately attracted Mike Hatch. If the sunken ship can be found, there will be countless wonderful things waiting for him.

With the mentality of giving it a try, Mike Hatch began to salvage. At that time, China people didn't have such technology and paid attention to this kind of behavior, so they gave Mike Hatch a chance. He successfully salvaged this giant merchant ship and found millions of pieces of China porcelain on board. These porcelains were unearthed in Dehua, Fujian Province, and each piece of craft is very exquisite, and they are all first-class, so people can't move their eyes.

In his excitement, Mike Hatch didn't forget his purpose because there were too many porcelains. In order to get the maximum profit, he chose to smash all 600,000 pieces of relatively simple and ordinary porcelain, leaving only 365,000 pieces of flawless porcelain. Michael Hatcher, who returned home with a full load, shipped these porcelains to Germany. In order to sell them smoothly, he must ensure that his salvage is legal. After running around, he finally got an international convention.

At the cultural relics auction, he auctioned all the porcelain under his name. In just nine days, Mike Hatch earned $30 million, and our exquisite porcelain made in China also flowed into all parts of Europe.

Draw lessons and develop underwater archaeology.

Mike Hatch's behavior is incalculable to China. His auctions and exhibitions have spread to China, and the people of China are even sadder to learn that these porcelains were salvaged in the South China Sea. Therefore, the archaeological circles in China discussed with each other and decided to carry out underwater archaeological work.

For the inexperienced China people, this is undoubtedly a huge challenge. After repeated attempts, in 2003, the South China Sea No.1 sunken ship was successfully salvaged in the Song Dynasty, which was also the first time that China people successfully salvaged an ancient sunken ship. In this historic shipwreck, we found a large number of cultural relics worth 300 billion yuan, which gave underwater archaeologists greater motivation.

Underwater archaeology in different sea areas is being carried out in an orderly way, and then four British sunken ships are salvaged in the East China Sea, and the cultural relics inside are amazing. After identification, it was found that most of these cultural relics came from Yuanmingyuan. Because it was a British shipwreck and the cultural relics inside, it was initially determined that it was looted by the British and French Coalition forces when they burned the Yuanmingyuan.

It has always been a sad and unspeakable thing that the British and French allied forces burned the Yuanmingyuan. This kind of destruction of culture is very bad, and it has done great harm to China. The French writer Hugo has always been worried about this matter. He visited everywhere, looking for witnesses in those days, trying to find out the truth and condemning such burning, killing and looting.

One of the soldiers said that he had never seen such a luxurious palace. There are countless silks and jewels in Yuanmingyuan, which are priceless. Their malicious plunder has made this place unrecognizable, and the losses caused are incalculable. They are full of longing and expectation for the seized cultural relics.

Britain is unreasonable and demands the return of cultural relics.

Ironically, after China underwater archaeologists salvaged the British sunken ship, they heard that it was all the cultural relics of Yuanmingyuan, and many British media began to be agitated. They urged China to return the cultural relics from their sunken ship, and insisted that these cultural relics in Yuanmingyuan belonged to them. How can China give in? This is our own business.

Faced with the irrational behavior of the British media, the British government said nothing. After all, in retrospect, it was they who made the bad behavior. In addition, the British Museum has many cultural relics brought back from Yuanmingyuan. Although the British government chose silence this time, the cultural relics on the sunken Yuanmingyuan have spoken for themselves. How can they take the initiative to ask the people of China for something that doesn't belong to them?

Cultural relics sometimes represent a country. I hope all the cultural relics belonging to China can go home as soon as possible.