The Nanhai No. 1 shipwreck is located in the city of Yangjiang in Guangdong Province which lies on the Chinese southern coast. The ship sank off the coast during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279 AD) and was discovered in the summer of 1987. In 2007, several authorities cooperated to salvage the whole shipwreck from the seabed that was over 20 metres underwater (Supplementary Fig. 1) and moved it to the Marine Silk Road Museum, where it was stored in a tank with seawater. The successful recovery is an unprecedented achievement and a historical landmark for Chinese underwater archaeology. A full-scale excavation of the Nanhai No. 1 shipwreck began on land in November 2013. A number of archaeological materials including ornaments, wood combs, bronze mirrors and even plant seeds have been recovered from the shipwreck. Further excavation revealed that the coastal trader carried a cargo of gold, silver, and copper coins, in addition to a significant number of porcelain items for ocean-going trade1. The remains of the ancient vessel are expected to yield critical information on ancient Chinese shipbuilding and navigation technologies. As the most important underwater discovery in Chinese archaeological history, the 800-year-old shipwreck is of great significance to the history of overseas trade and is also an important resource for Maritime Silk Road research.