GUANGZHOU, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists have retrieved more than 300 pieces of porcelain from an ancient sunken ship in the South China Sea off the Guangdong coast.

    These porcelain objects, mostly bowls, plates, pots and bottles, were believed to be produced in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), said Dr Wei Jun with the Guangdong Archaeology Institute (GAI).

    "They have a great value in archaeology," Wei said, without specifying details.

    According to GAI, the ship -- which was carrying a considerable amount of Ming Dynasty porcelain, or up to tens of thousands of pieces -- was probably built during the Ming Dynasty.

    Guangdong archaeologists used GPS to locate the sunken ship early June. The vessel, dubbed South China Sea-II, is about 17 to 18 meters long and lying at a depth of 20 meters.

    A preliminary study of the sunken ship shows it may have sunk 400 years ago after striking a reef.

    The ship's existence came to light when local police got wind of illegal salvage operations being carried out in the sea off Nanao County in South China's Guangdong Province.

    On May 25, Nanao County police learned that some fishermen had been recovering ancient porcelain objects from the sea.

    The police confiscated 21 pieces of ancient porcelains from a fishing boat whose owner claimed that divers he hired for deep seafishing had recovered the porcelain by accident.

    On May 26, another 117 pieces of porcelain were confiscated from two fishing boats which were carrying out illegal salvage work.

    Police stepped up monitoring of the area and warned local people not to loot the cultural relics. On June 1, two local residents handed over 124 porcelain items to police.

    The sunken ship was found just a few days after China started salvage operations on the South China Sea-I, which dated back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

    South China Sea I, discovered in 1987, was the first ancient vessel discovered on the "Marine Silk Road" in the South China Sea.

    Wei said that the discovery of South China Sea II will provide more evidence about the "Marine Silk Road", and help with the study of Chinese sea-faring, ship-building and ceramics making.

    Archaeologists are searching for more cultural relics from the ship and local authorities have submitted an application to the State Bureau of Cultural Heritage for salvaging the ship.

    "If everything goes well, the ship could be pulled out of water in October this year," he said.