A Portuguese marine archaeology group has expressed interest in salvaging a 14th-century Chinese shipwreck in Cambodian waters, and is hoping to collaborate with the Cambodian Fine Arts department.
Portuguese company after Koh Kong wreck
Phnom Penh Post, 16 June 2009
A Portuguese company has expressed interest in pursuing the recovery of a 600-year-old Chinese shipwreck discovered off the coast of Koh Kong province in 2006. Staff at Arqueonautas Arqueologia Subaquatica Worldwide, a marine archeology group, said that the company had contacted officials at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts to discuss the recovery of the wreck.
“We are simply waiting for an answer regarding their decision on how to proceed,” said Katie Whiddon, a project assistant at Arqueonautas Worldwide. Since its founding, the company has discovered more than 150 wreck sites in Africa and Asia. Fourteen historical shipwrecks have been excavated, and approximately 100,000 coins and more than 10,000 artefacts recovered.
