12 February 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Failed Mongol fleet may actually land in Japan after 800 years

A  recent shipwreck was found off the coast of Japan this year and identified as part of a Mongol fleet that sailed to Japan in the latter part of the 13th Century.

The recent discovery has offered a fresh reminder that Japan is awash with underwater archaeological sites in the ocean and its lakes and rivers.

In 1274 and 1281, Kublai Khan, the then-Mongol leader, dispatched two military expeditions to Japan. In Japan, these are known as the “Mongol Invasions.” The Mongol army sailed to Japan in 1281 with up to 4,000 ships and 140,000 soldiers, making it the largest sea invasion force assembled until Operation Overlord 670 years later.

After the weather turned against them, it is said that a portion of Kublai Khan’s second armada sought refuge in Imari Bay, hoping to ride out the storm there. Instead of being saved, the ships met with disaster. Today, the area in Imari Bay where artifacts from these ships are being uncovered has been designated as an underwater cultural historical site. Known as the Takashima Kozaki, due to its proximity to Takashima (Taka Island), it was the first underwater area in Japan to receive this designation.

While surveys had been conducted on and off since the 1980s, a team of researchers led by Yoshifumi Ikeda, an archeology professor at Kokugakuin University, found one of the vessels in 2011 when he was working at the University of the Ryukyus.

A wooden anchor of a Mongolian ship from the 13th century is salvaged in Matsuura, Nagasaki Prefecture, on Oct. 1, 2022. Photo: Shunsuke Nakamura
A wooden anchor of a Mongolian ship from the 13th century is salvaged in Matsuura, Nagasaki Prefecture, on Oct. 1, 2022. Photo: Shunsuke Nakamura

They also caused a stir in the fall of last year when they salvaged a wooden anchor.

Because underwater visibility in the area surrounding Takashima island is “like diving into miso soup,” the team also went through trial and error carrying out acoustic surveys, Ikeda said.

“We take a close look at the seabed topography and stratum and narrow down our search to find ruins,” Ikeda added. “I think we have almost established a way to find ships around Takashima.”

“There are many ruins in Japanese waters that remain undiscovered,” said Jun Kimura, an associate professor at Tokai University, who is well-versed in the history of underwater archaeology and the current landscape around the world.

As there are numerous promising sonar readings that hint of other buried ships from the Mongol armada in the area, the researchers are excited about the opportunities these locations provide for further research and discovery in the years to come.

The researchers also expressed a desire to raise one of the ships at a later time. Despite the technical and financial challenges to making that happen, the Mongol fleet may actually land in Japan after 800 years.

Cover Photo: News.mn

Related Articles

A 7,500-year-old settlement has been discovered in Turkey’s Domuztepe Mound

11 September 2021

11 September 2021

During the most recent excavations at Domuztepe Mound in the Türkoğlu district of southern Turkey’s Kahramanmaraş province, a settlement and...

Archaeologists discovered 7,000-years-old Neolithic Settlement in the Czech Republic

31 July 2024

31 July 2024

Archaeologists have discovered a Neolithic settlement of about 7,000 years old near Kutná Hora, east of Prague in the Czech...

Scientists Find Aztec ‘Death Whistles’ do Weird Things to the Listeners’ Brains

18 November 2024

18 November 2024

New research reveals that one of the Aztecs’ most chilling artefacts, clay death whistles, which resemble a human skull and...

8000-year-old with balcony architectural structure belonging to the Prehistoric period found in Anatolia

31 October 2021

31 October 2021

During the excavations in Domuztepe mound, it was revealed that an architectural structure thought to be 7-8 thousand years old...

Ancient tombs discovered at Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral

15 March 2022

15 March 2022

Archaeologists discovered several graves and a leaden sarcophagus possibly dating from the 14th century at Paris’ Notre Dame church, France’s...

The Mysterious Prehistoric Underwater Structure Beneath Lake Michigan

6 February 2024

6 February 2024

A prehistoric structure reminiscent of England’s iconic Stonehenge has been uncovered in Grand Traverse Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan...

Ancient Chinese porcelain worth 1 million euros was stolen from the German museum, sparking anger

15 September 2023

15 September 2023

Nine pieces of historic Chinese porcelain worth around €1 million were stolen from the Museum for East Asian Art (Cologne)...

One of the largest mass burial pits ever discovered in the UK has been unearthed next to Leicester Cathedral

21 November 2024

21 November 2024

While excavating the gardens of Leicester Cathedral for the future construction of a learning center, archaeologists uncovered one of the...

An Ancient Large Clay Vessel “Hum” 1.75 Meters High Unearthed in Kyrgyzstan

9 March 2024

9 March 2024

During recent archaeological excavations in the town of Uzgen in the Osh province of Kyrgyzstan, a 1.75-meter-high clay vessel known...

Experts say that the Stone of Destiny was a doorstep

2 May 2024

2 May 2024

The Stone of Destiny’s recorded links to Scottish royalty date back almost 1000 years, and its origins are shrouded in...

Research Shows Early North Americans Made Eyed Needles from Fur-Bearers

3 December 2024

3 December 2024

Archaeologists from the University of Wyoming have found bone 13,000-year-old eyed needles crafted from the bones of various furry animals....

Polish archaeologists discovered new petroglyphs dating back to the 3rd century in Colorado

14 December 2023

14 December 2023

Archaeologists from the Jagiellonian University, southern Poland, have made a significant discovery of ancient indigenous paintings and carvings in the...

500-year-old board game discovered carved into a stone slab in a Polish castle

12 September 2023

12 September 2023

A board game carved into stone was discovered by archaeologists investigating the castle at Ćmielów in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship in...

Italian Versailles being returned to its former glory through

17 May 2023

17 May 2023

The Italian Royal Palace of Caserta, a long-neglected near Naples, is being restored to its former glory through a vast...

Part of lost star catalog of Hipparchus found hidden in Medieval parchment

22 October 2022

22 October 2022

Hipparchus’ fabled star catalog, which had been thought to be lost, was discovered concealed in a medieval parchment that had...