Treasure trove reveals origins of 800-year-old shipwreck

By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Updated 2037 GMT (0437 HKT) June 1, 2018

One of the qingbai-type boxes from the Java Sea Shipwreck collection at the Field Museum.
Photos: Exploring an 800-year-old shipwreck
One of the qingbai-type boxes from the Java Sea Shipwreck collection at the Field Museum.
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The researchers had the rough task of searching for ancient kiln shards throughout sites in southeastern China to compare with the ceramics found at the shipwreck.
Photos: Exploring an 800-year-old shipwreck
The researchers had the rough task of searching for ancient kiln shards throughout sites in southeastern China to compare with the ceramics found at the shipwreck.
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A type of portable X-ray gun was used to study the ceramics and perform a chemical analysis that wasn't destructive to the shipwreck's cargo.
Photos: Exploring an 800-year-old shipwreck
A type of portable X-ray gun was used to study the ceramics and perform a chemical analysis that wasn't destructive to the shipwreck's cargo.
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A qingbai ewer found at the wreck.
Photos: Exploring an 800-year-old shipwreck
A qingbai ewer found at the wreck.
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This is a Chinese ceramic bowl with qingbai glaze from the Java Sea Shipwreck. A similar piece, dated to the 10th through 12th centuries, has been found at an archaeological site in Sarawak, Malaysia.