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In 2015, researchers with the National Research Institute of Maritime Heritage located the remains of a wooden vessel later identified as a 15th-century cargo ship. They named it Mado 4. For nearly ten years, the wreck rested quietly beneath layers of sand as specialists worked to stabilize, study, and protect it.
Last month, the ship was lifted from the seabed — and everything experts thought they knew about Joseon-era shipping collapsed instantly. Mado 4 is now the only fully recovered vessel from its dynasty, effectively freezing a moment in Korean state logistics more than half a millennium old.
A Government Ship Frozen in Perfect Condition
Once raised, archaeologists uncovered more than 120 artifacts inside the hull, each one offering a direct link to Korea’s state-run transport network. Wooden cargo markers with carved destinations, containers packed with rice destined for the royal capital, and government-ordered porcelain created for official use were all found preserved in the wreck.
Officials confirmed the ship served as a “joun” vessel — a government transport ship responsible for moving tax grain and official goods from regional hubs to Hanyang, now Seoul. One institute representative summed it up bluntly: “This is not just a ship. It’s the physical infrastructure of the Joseon state coming back to light.”
Researchers believe the ship likely departed from Naju in South Jeolla Province around 1420 when disaster struck along one of Korea’s most treacherous maritime corridors. Ironically, the same deadly conditions that doomed the vessel also saved it — burial under deep sediment shielded the wood from centuries of decay.
Construction Secrets That Shocked the Experts
The ship’s structure delivered the biggest surprises. Ancient Korean vessels were long believed to rely almost entirely on single-mast designs. Mado 4 upended that assumption with a dual-mast layout, offering far better handling and speed for urgent tax deliveries.
But what truly startled researchers was what they found inside the hull repairs: iron nails — the first confirmed use of metal fasteners in any traditional Korean ship ever recovered. The long-held belief that Korean shipbuilding relied solely on wooden joints instantly fell apart. Archaeologists now suspect influence from Japanese or Chinese shipwrights or possibly domestic innovation centuries ahead of schedule.
The Coastline That Keeps Rewriting History
The Taean region has quickly become one of East Asia’s hottest archaeological zones. Since 2007, over a dozen sunken ships have emerged from the deep. Each discovery fills another gap in what historians know about Korea’s maritime economy, tax system, and coastal trade.
And the story isn’t close to over. Sonar scans near the Mado 4 site recently detected yet another wreck — this one accompanied by celadon pieces dating to roughly 1150–1175. If confirmed, it would be the oldest shipwreck ever found in Korean waters, predating Mado 4 by more than two centuries and potentially reshaping what experts know about the Goryeo Kingdom.
A Rare Chance for the Public to See History Up Close
Mado 4 is now undergoing careful desalination and long-term restoration, a process that takes years. But the public doesn’t have to wait to witness the discovery. The Taean Maritime Museum is currently hosting an exhibition titled “The Nation’s Ship That Sailed the Sea.” It will run through February 22, 2026 and displays more than 120 artifacts from the wreck, including the rice containers, the porcelain, and the wooden destination tags exactly as divers found them.
Every piece tells a story of a nation run by wind, manpower, tight bookkeeping, and engineering far more advanced than scholars believed. For centuries, the ship sat hidden beneath the waves. Today it stands as a direct challenge to the academic consensus — a reminder that history still holds secrets waiting for the right diver to bring them back to air.
