2019年1月16日,考古隊(duì)員在沙特塞林港遺址水下作業(yè)
由中國(guó)國(guó)家文物局水下文化遺產(chǎn)保護(hù)中心和沙特國(guó)家考古中心組織的中沙聯(lián)合考古隊(duì),在對(duì)塞林港遺址開(kāi)展的第二次聯(lián)合發(fā)掘中,獲得重要成果??脊抨?duì)發(fā)現(xiàn)大型建筑遺址,出土了包括中國(guó)瓷器在內(nèi)的諸多文物,為研究海上絲綢之路提供了珍貴資料。
本次考古工作分為田野考古、水下考古、遙感考古,從陸地、海洋、空中對(duì)塞林港遺址進(jìn)行全面的調(diào)查、發(fā)掘與研究,取得超乎預(yù)期的成果。
據(jù)介紹,陸地考古方面,考古隊(duì)發(fā)現(xiàn)成片的大型建筑基址,其中一座可能為清真寺,并發(fā)現(xiàn)排列有序的珊瑚石墓群;水下考古方面,確認(rèn)了港灣與航道;遙感考古方面,利用無(wú)人機(jī)航拍,發(fā)現(xiàn)并確認(rèn)了被流沙掩蓋的古代季節(jié)性河流,解答了塞林港選址于此的重要緣由。
遺址發(fā)掘中,考古隊(duì)員清理出銅砝碼、青金石、串珠、瑪瑙、象牙制品、錢幣等,同時(shí)還發(fā)現(xiàn)了阿拉伯石器、波斯釉陶以及來(lái)自中國(guó)的瓷器,包括宋元時(shí)期的龍泉青瓷和景德鎮(zhèn)青白瓷以及明清時(shí)期的青花瓷。
塞林港遺址位于阿拉伯半島西南部,地處紅海之濱。據(jù)阿拉伯文獻(xiàn)記載,塞林港大約在公元9至13世紀(jì)進(jìn)入繁榮期,遺址為一處重要的朝圣貿(mào)易港,面積超過(guò)100萬(wàn)平方米。
中國(guó)駐沙特大使李華新在考察時(shí)說(shuō),此次聯(lián)合考古工作,開(kāi)創(chuàng)了中國(guó)和阿拉伯世界“一帶一路”文化合作的先河。
考古隊(duì)員在沙特塞林港遺址現(xiàn)場(chǎng)工作
塞林港遺址發(fā)現(xiàn)的中國(guó)瓷片
The China-Saudi Arabia joint archaeologicalteam,organized by the National Centerof Underwater Cultural Heritage of the StateAdministration of Cultural Heritage and the SaudiNational Archaeological Center,made extraordinaryachievements in its second excavation at the ruins ofal Serrian port. The archaeological team discoveredthe ruins of huge buildings and unearthed numerouscultural relics including Chinese porcelain, providinginsights for the study of the Maritime Silk Road.
The archaeological excavation was organizedinto field,underwater,and remote-sensing work.The comprehensive survey, excavation and researchcarried out on the ruins of al Serrian port from land,sea and air have achieved results that far exceededexpectations.
It was leamed that the land archaeological teamdiscovered plots for huge buildings, one of which maybe a mosque, and an orderly corallite cemetery; theunderwater archaeological team identified the harborand waterway; the remote-sensing archaeologicalteam,aided with aerial photo by drones,discoveredand confirmed the ancient seasonal rivers coveredby quicksand, and explained why al Serrian port waslocated there.
During the excavation,archaeologists uncoveredcopper weights, lazurite, strings of beads, agate,ivory products,coins,etc. At the same time,Arabicstoneware, Persian glazed pottery and porcelainfrom China, including Longquan celadonware andJingdezhen bluish white porcelain of the Song andYuan Dynasties as well as blue and white porcelain ofthe Ming and Qing Dynasties,were also unearthed.
The ruins of al Serrian port were located in thesouthwestern Arabian Peninsula on the Red Sea.According to Arabic documents, al Serrian portwas prosperous from roughly the ninth to the 13thcentury. The site. with an area of more than onemillion square meters, was an important port for Hadjpilgrimage trade.
Li Huaxin, China's ambassador to Saudi Arabia,said during the inspection that the joint archaeologjcalwork opened the way for the Belt and Road culturalcooperation between China and the Arab world.