Munmu Fleet Wreck and Archaeological Site

The Munmu Fleet Wreck and Archaeological Site (Zhenian: 문무함대 난파유적지) is a shipwreck site dating back to the early Confederation Era in Abayad containing the remnants of the fleet of Zhenian Admiral Chang Munmu, dated to sometime around the 342 AC. It was discovered in 1601 AC by speculators searching for sites to drill for hydrocarbons on the seafloor, west of the island of Alkhadim. The wrecks yielded numerous coins and artifacts dating back to the 4th century AC, as well as the remains of the ships themselves; the fleet was once made up of the most advanced ships in the world, measuring up to 182 m in length.

Discovery
In the spring of 1601, the Faraj Oil Company hired surveyors to explore the seabed floor west of Alkhadim to search for new areas to drill for oil. As part of the seabed survey, the surveyors came across the site of the wreck deep underwater. As per national law, the Faraj Company reported the find to the Abayadi government, which in turn declared the area a protected archeological site, also alerting the government of Zhenia of the find.

Artifact recovery
In a series of expeditions beginning in 1601-02, Abayadi and Zhenian archaeologists, historians, and engineers partnered to salvage numerous artifacts from the waters. The teams discovered numerous wrecks, eventually identifying 19 separate vessels of the 21 that were believed to have been lost, including Munmu’s own flagship, the Haeryong. To the delight of the explorers, the vessel’s entire hull and cargo were nearly intact, mostly buried in sediment. Its deck structures were also intact, including its mast. Radiocarbon dating of wood from the various ships confirms that they are from the correct era, reinforcing belief that this was his fleet.



In 1603, the project divided the site into seven smaller ones and conducted individual expeditions to each, focusing on the exploration of the seabed and charting the extent of the wrecks themselves. On the wrecks, piles of distinctive shipping jars of Abayadi origin were found, possibly carrying products such as olive oil, honey, wine, or fish at one time. Video from Site A shows a wall of shipping jars about 2 m above the seabed, with the one highest on the pile having fallen over at some point without displacing those still standing beneath it. This suggests that the ship settled upright on the seabed, gradually being buried in and filled with sediment. Site B also contained large piles of similar storage jars. However, it was Site D, home to the remains of Munmu’s flagship, that ultimately received the most attention. The site allowed for in-depth study of preserved vessels from the 4th century, a virtual snapshot that would grant a great deal of insight into the production and makeup of ships from that era. The project as a whole relied upon remote sensing with side-scan sonar in shallow and deep water alike to identify potential sites examined by ROVs. In 1607, archaeologist and engineer Nazmin Sabir suggested that that area of the sea’s deep, anoxic waters may have preserved the ships from antiquity, as typical wood-devouring organisms could not survive there. At a depth of 150m, the area where the wreck can be observed today contains insufficient oxygen to support most familiar biological life.

By 1604, submersibles had recovered several bronze statues, one nicknamed “The Sea Emperor,” and even more stone ones. Other finds included remains of musical instruments (chiefly a bronze harp) and several pieces of glasswork. Recovered ship’s equipment included lead scupper pipes and hull sheeting, as well as a set of leading sounding weights weighing at around 14 kg. Many other small, common artifacts were found in the area, including around 49 metric tons worth of assorted Zhenian, Abayadi and Ayerani gold coins; the discovery of gold coins within the shipwreck of Site C was one of the largest gold finds in a complete undersea shipwreck, with the value of the coins measured by today's gold prices alone reaching almost $3 million. The gold coins have been an indicator of the immense flow of wealth along the pre-modern trade routes.

There had been debates over who were to own the shipwreck and the artifacts that came along with it, with each side of the archaeological team claiming the shipwreck for their nation to manage and its artifacts under the ownership of their respective nations of origin. This became a problem that was elevated to the respective governments, resulting in a deal being struck between the Zhenian and Abayadi governments permitting Abayad to keep many of these for study and display in its own museums, under the precondition that the site would be cooperatively managed by the Zhenian Government and that Zhenian museums were to receive priority should the artifacts be part of a traveling exhibition.

Historical accounts


Non-Zhenian records of the expedition can be found in an untitled record of the Court of Toli Abayad (then Qabl) and its ruling families, specifically an account kept by the Azzam Family. It reports the arrival of Zhenian ships in 342 AC, which corresponds to the expedition’s timeline. The arrival is described as thus:

''The dragon-ships from Zhenia arrived in Qabl harbor, and with them messengers of the Sea-King of that country with brilliant gifts for the ruling families. Each illustrious family’s leader accepted his brilliant gifts and sent their own emissaries, inviting the Sea-King to a feast, for the Sea-King’s gifts were great and kingly. They included splendid silk cloth woven with gold, top quality musk for the making of perfumes, and many kinds of porcelain vessels. The Sea-King accepted the kind and generous invitation of the Families, feasting with them in their hall. Each Family presented the Sea-King with gifts of their own, such as frankincense wrapped with rare and colorful coral branches, numerous containers of the finest wines, the pelts of lions slain in honorable hunts, splendid linen robes in the styles of the richest merchants, numerous beautiful silver ornaments, and slaves to serve the Sea-King. The Sea-King was intrigued with tales of the Merchants’ Sea (Sea of Azad) and how it stretched north, nearly touching the land of the Vayonists. He was given several navigation charts as well as navigators to travel in his company and explore the region, and they travelled in the company of the Sea-King out of the sheltered harbor of Qabl in that same year. The Sea-King never returned to the port or any other, and was never seen again.''