19th century ship salvaged from the Red River

Vietnamese archaeologists have recovered what is believed to be a 19th century trading vessel from the Red (Hong) River. Among the artefacts recovered are cloth dyes, 18th century Chinese ceramics.

Ship salvaged from Red River
Viet Nam News, 20 March 2009

Archaeologists believe that a sunken ship salvaged last week from under the Hong (Red) River between Hung Yen Province and Ha Noi belonged to 19th century Chinese merchants.

Among the objects recovered from the wreck was cu nau, a substance used centuries ago for colouring cloth.

“The cu nau had not yet dissolved but was fossilised,” Pham Trung Hieu, curator of the Hung Yen Province Museum, said.