Doan Anh Duong Co., a professional excavator, said it will seek permission from the Quang Ngai province People’s Committee to expand its current excavation site off the Binh Chau commune as another search would likely yield more shipwrecks and antiques.

With the committee’s consent, the 300 m2 site, on which Doan Anh Duong Co. has been excavating since early this month, will be extended to the entire Chau Thuan sea area after the company is done with the shipwreck they’re currently working on, said Doan Sung, the company advisor.

The prospection and excavation is to be conducted in zones, Sung added.

“Scientists suspect that there may be more wrecked ships lying out there, as merchant ships hailing from the north would stop by the area to seek shelter from storms before finally sinking hundreds of years ago,” he elaborated.

The excavation of the ship the company is currently working on is nearing completion, with all the antiques inside the hulk being dug up.

The company will drain the water out in the staked area to recover items that fell out during the process.

The first phase is expected to end on July 1 before the excavator doubles the current site to 600 m2 and uses divers to perform the second phase, which is expected to wrap up by July 15.

According to Nguyen Dang Vu, head of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the antiques recovered in the first phase have now been taken to the Quang Ngai museum, where experts are desalting, categorizing and making reports on them to get ready for a public announcement on June 30.

In this same area, locals had earlier discovered several other wrecked ships carrying antiques of various types, with most being potteries from China’s Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and later dynasties.