Two ancient shipwrecks, probably from the mid-Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), were found from about 1,500 meters under the sea level in South China Sea, the National Cultural Heritage Administration announced in the coastal city of Sanya, Hainan province, on Sunday.

A scientific research team of Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering with the Chinese Academy of Sciences first found the two shipwrecks on a continental slope in October. It is also the first time that China discovered a site of large-scale ancient shipwreck in deep sea.

The two are named by researchers as Northwest Continental Slope No 1 and No 2 Shipwrecks in South China Sea.