Archaeologists Study Third Mongol Invasion Shipwreck off Takashima, Japan
Archaeologists have investigated another 13th-century shipwreck off Takashima Island in Matsuura, Nagasaki Prefecture, in south-western Japan. Takashima lies in Imari Bay, on the northern coast of Kyushu facing the sea route towards Korea. Two other wrecks were found in the same waters in 2011 and 2015.
All three ships are believed to have sunk in 1281, during the Battle of Koan, when the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty of China sent a huge fleet to invade Japan. Much of that fleet was destroyed by a typhoon, an event later remembered in Japan as the “kamikaze” or divine wind.
From the CrewMirror Blog
The newly studied ship was about 30 metres (100 feet) long and had living quarters, so researchers think it may have served as a mother ship for the fleet. Among the finds are five dice and 29 small cards for koppai, a game that came from China. The work was carried out jointly by Kokugakuin University and the Matsuura city government.
Lead researcher Yoshifumi Ikeda said the finds “offer a glimpse into life during wartime”, showing how sailors passed their free hours on board more than 740 years ago.
CrewMirror Takeaway
Seven centuries apart, the dice and cards show that seafarers have always needed rest, company and simple games to cope with long, tense days at sea.
