Archeologists in Japan have now confirmed that the remnants of a shipwreck that was discovered last fall is part of a Mongolian armada used in a failed attempt to invade Japan during the 13th century.
Discovered below the waters of the Takashima island, the remains measured twelve meters long and three meters across. It had a bow that was pointed southward.
This was the second wreckage found by the team that could be linked to the Mongolians' invasion of Japan. The first was discovered in 2011.
"We have successfully confirmed the two ships from the Mongolian invasion, and further research on them is expected to lead to the discovery of even more sunken Mongolian ships," said Yoshifumi Ikeda, the head of the research from the University of Ryukyus, via Asahi Shimbun.
The Japanese archeologists have arrived at the conclusion by studying the structure and shape of the ship, against all the other artifacts they have found from the wreckage, which included ceramic wares, porcelain bowls, brown glaze vases for pottery, roof tiles and iron ware. These artifacts date back to the 12th or 13th century.
The team of archeologists said there were there more ships on the Takashima Kozaki site, which could further suggest the invasion, according to New Historian.
"One thing that we hope to learn from the wreck is the kind of materials that were used by the Mongolians 730 years ago, as well as the techniques used in the construction of the ship," said Atsuyuki Nakata of the Matsuura City Board of Education, according to The Telegraph.
As history has told, Kublai Khan and his fleet attempted to take Japan in 1274, after repeatedly sending messages to the Japanese emperor to surrender. Their battle was known as the Battle Of Bun'ei. However, strong typhoons prevented the Mongols from successfully carrying out their early invasion. Many of the ships docked at Hakata Bay were destroyed by the strong winds, killing thousands of Mongol soldiers. The Japanese believed this had been the work of the gods and the Kamikaze or "divine wind."
