Wood Identification and Analysis of Shipbuilding Timber from a Ming Dynasty Shipyard in Nanjing

The paper analyses wood samples taken from 253 artifacts unearthed at the main shipyard in Nanjing, where the “treasure ships” placed under the command of Admiral Zheng He were built. Zheng He sailed in the years 1405–1433, making several expeditions, each consisting of 200 to 300 ships along the Chinese coast to Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. Excavations were carried out in one of the three remaining basins (out of 13 originally). In total, eight wood species were identified. We microscopically identified Cunninghamia lanceolata, Pinus subgen. Diploxylon, Tectona grandis, Erythrophloeum fordii, Castanopsis sp., Shorea sp., Cotylelobium sp., and Diospyros sp. Of these, Cunninghamia lanceolata was the most commonly used, followed by Pinus subgen. Diploxylon and Tectona grandis . These three species accounted for 96.44% of the total number of samples. Our results indicate that sailors had already comprehended the properties and mastered the use of selected wood species at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty 600 years ago

Cunninghamia · Excavation · Shipyard · Tectona · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Wood and Agarwood Research · Wood Treatment and Properties