Skip to content. Updated at 8:50 am on 26 October 2011
Archaeologists have discovered the wreck of a ship that was part
of a fleet sent to invade Japan by the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan,
more than 700 years ago. The wooden ship was found off the
southern island of Kyushu, a metre under the seabed. The hull,
which is almost complete, and the keel are the most intact
remains of a Mongol wreck found in Japanese waters.
Archaeologists say it was part of an invasion fleet carrying
140,000 Mongol soldiers in 1281. Researchers from the University
of the Ryukyus in Okinawa used ultrasonic equipment to detect
the remains of the ship. The wood on the hull was painted
whitish grey and held together by nails. Bricks, weapons and
other instruments were found on board. The BBC reports the
Japanese have always attributed their victory to storms that
wrecked the Mongol fleets during two attempted invasions in 1274
and 1281. They concluded that Japan was protected from invasion
by a divine wind, (Kamikaze), which was invoked in