17th century Chinese pottery discovered

MARINE archaeologists have salvaged thousands of pieces of Chinese porcelain from a 17th-century Portuguese colonial merchant ship in the South China Sea.

Many of the blue-and-white porcelain bowls, plates, jars and other crockery - similar to those used by ancient Chinese emperors - were in pristine condition.

The sunken vessel, built by Portuguese seafarers in the Philippines, was believed to have been sailing from China to Jakarta, Indonesia when it was blown up by rival ships competing for trade in the early 1600s.