Text/Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Zhao Yingguang Correspondent Chengzong
Humanity's rich cultural heritage exists not only on land, but also in vast waters, and underwater archaeology is precisely to unveil the mystery of human civilization that has sunk beneath the waters. The reporter learned in the interview on the 30th that Wang Zhijie, deputy director of the Library of Chenghai District of Shantou City, member of the district cultural relics protection expert group and assistant teacher of underwater archaeology, who was recently awarded the "Good Man of Shantou" (dedication) in the first half of 2021, is one of the few underwater archaeology experts in eastern Guangdong. In the past 16 years, Wang Zhijie's underwater "footprints" have covered 18,000 kilometers of coastline, and he has repeatedly risked his life to bring out the "treasures" sleeping in different seas and different ages, contributing to underwater archaeological discoveries, research and cultural relics protection.
It is reported that Wang Zhijie, born in 1971, grew up on the seashore since childhood, and since joining the work, he has formed an indissoluble love affair with the sea - from a naval warrior to underwater archaeology, he has once again realized the dream of a sea soul.
In the past 16 years, Wang Zhijie has used his cultural knowledge and skills to participate in many national-level heavy and large-scale underwater archaeology, cultural relics protection and scientific research projects such as "Nanhai I.", "Nan'ao I.", "Dandong No. 1 (Zhiyuan Ship)", "Dalian Zhuanghe Jingyuan Ship", "Underwater Archaeological Survey of The Waters of Chuandao Island on Taishan Mountain", "Investigation of the Ruins of the Jiawu Ship 'Dingyuan Ship' in Weihai Bay, Shandong Province", "2019 Xisha Sea Underwater Archaeology Project", etc.
In 2018, the Underwater Cultural Heritage Protection Center of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage held the "Belt and Road" Coastal Countries Underwater Archaeology Practice Class, and Wang Zhijie was hired as an assistant teacher to teach the trainees "The Production and Application of Underwater Equipment". From June to July 2021, Wang Zhijie participated in the "Underwater Archaeological Survey of the Site of the Yuan Dynasty Shipwreck in the Holy Grail Island" organized by the Archaeological Research Center of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the Fujian Institute of Archaeology and the Zhangzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Center as a teaching assistant (including the 2021 National Advanced Training Course for Underwater Archaeology Professionals).
In the eyes of ordinary people, the work of underwater archaeology is full of mystery and irresistible attraction, but for the underwater archaeology team members, underwater archaeology is a very dangerous work, and it is not too much to say that birth and death.
According to reports, the general sea conditions in the sunken sea area of the hull are complex, and after the sinking of the hull, the surface of the hull is not only suitable for the "home" of marine life, but also the possibility of hooking the fishing nets removed by fishermen, etc. Currents, visibility, marine life, etc. are potential risks during underwater archaeological work, and sometimes even cause life danger.
In the face of life safety and cultural relics safety, Wang Zhijie said that in his belief: life is indeed precious, but human cultural heritage is priceless, and if necessary, life will be used to defend human cultural heritage.
Wang Zhijie said and did the same. It is reported that in the investigation and excavation of the "Nan'ao No. 1" shipwreck, Wang Zhijie and his dive partner carried a large basket of blue and white porcelain on the seabed at a depth of 27 meters, and when they came out of the water along the water rope, due to the low visibility under the water, at a depth of 8 meters, they found themselves at the bottom of a large ship (large berth boat, more than 40 meters long). At that time, the oxygen cylinders they were carrying only had 5 BAR of air pressure left, and the submarine partner suddenly panicked and proposed to throw away the frame transporting the porcelain and quickly get out of the water.
Wang Zhijie firmly disagreed with this, because he knew that if he threw away the basket full of porcelain, it would be almost impossible to get it back, which was a precious cultural heritage of mankind. Wang Zhijie tried to calm his teammates in the water and calm him down. It took a few more minutes for them to get out of the water, and by this time the air pressure was already displayed as 0. In the end, the cultural relics were safely transported to the ship, and Wang Zhijie and his diving companions were exhausted and collapsed, lying on the deck of the ship and gasping for breath.
In fact, such as the above situation, Wang Zhijie in the underwater archaeological work has been often seen, he has also encountered such underwater such as fishing net entanglement, drifting (can not find the outlet point, free rise), water flow direction becomes urgent, water difficulties, equipment failure, encountering strong winds and waves at sea, underwater encounter with poisonous organisms (jellyfish, stone fish, etc.), etc., but every time he has accumulated rich diving experience, he has successfully turned the danger into a disaster, ensured the safe exit of people and cultural relics, and defended the human cultural heritage with his life.
Underwater archaeology and terrestrial archaeology is not only a practical work, but also a research work, research at work, communication in research.
Over the years, Wang Zhijie has never stopped academic research and exchange work. Among them, in terms of academic research, as the first author, he has written many papers published in professional journals, such as "Analysis of the Potential Connection between Shantou Chenghai and "South Australia I.", "The Use of Aluminum Explorers", "Overview of the Protection of Shipwrecks in the Water", "'South Australia No. 1' and Underwater Archaeology in Chaoshan Area", etc., and many research results have been recognized by experts and scholars.
Source | Yangcheng Evening News • Yangcheng Pie
Editor-in-charge | Huang Tie'an