This article is by Kang Hye-ran and read by an artificial voice.

The seas off Mado, an island near South Chungcheong's Taean region, were called the "graveyard of ships" by Goryeo (918-1392) and Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) sailors for their fierce tides and violent waves. But hundreds of years later, the ships lost beneath the waves are proving to be a treasure trove of discoveries for modern-day historians.
Five shipwrecks have been found in the area alone: the famed 2007 Taean wreck loaded with 23,000 Goryeo celadon pieces, and Mado wrecks No. 1 through 4. Ten years have passed since the last and Mado wreck No. 4 was unearthed in 2015, and traces of a new sunken vessel have emerged at the same site, offering the possibility of yet another chapter in Goryeo maritime history.
The National Research Institute of Maritime Culture Heritage under the Korea Heritage Service announced that it had detected signs of an additional shipwreck while recovering structural components of the Joseon-era Mado wreck No. 4, in a press briefing held at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul on Monday.
Tentatively named Mado wreck No. 5, the new discovery included a variety of pressed-relief celadon bowls, cups and dishes - many of them made using molds. Of particular note were small celadon bowls shaped like spinning tops or conical hats, previously unseen in other Goryeo shipwrecks.
Han Seong-wook, director of the Jahyeon Ceramics Library (translated), said the pottery reflects mid-12th century styles found at kiln sites in Gangjin and Buan. "Based on the forms, the ship likely sank between 1150 and 1175," Han said.
From the site, researchers recovered 87 celadon pieces - including 65 plates, 15 bowls and 7 cups - as well as a wooden anchor, rope, rice grains, hull fragments and timber cargo supports. The composition of the cargo resembles that of Mado wrecks No. 1 and 2, suggesting the vessel was transporting grain and pottery. The celadon was of modest quality, bearing traces of bubbles and fired with a mix of high-grade quartz and mid-tier refractory clay - leading researchers to conclude it was likely intended as tableware for lower-ranking bureaucrats.

A full excavation is planned for next year. If confirmed, Mado wreck No. 5 would predate the Taean wreck (late 12th century) and Mado wrecks No. 1 (1208), No. 2 (circa 1210) and No. 3 (circa 1265-1268), making it the oldest Goryeo shipwreck discovered in the area.
Monday's briefing also included updates on Mado wreck No. 4 - the only known surviving vessel from the Joseon Dynasty. First discovered underwater in 2015, it was the first physical evidence of a segok (tax grain) transport ship, previously known only through historical records.
Wooden tags recovered from the ship (63 in total) confirmed it had departed Naju, South Jeolla, carrying tax grain and tribute bound for Gwangheungchang in Hanyang - present-day Mapo District in Seoul. Radiocarbon dating and other findings suggest the vessel sank around 1420.

Inside the ship were 152 buncheong ceramic items, including dishes labeled "Naeseom," a reference to the Naeseomsi - the royal office responsible for producing food and drink for high-ranking officials and the royal court. Various other pottery pieces were also retrieved.
Between April and October this year, the institute recovered 107 wooden structural components from the seabed, some 600 years after the ship sank. The hull, now being desalinated, measures 12 meters (39 feet) long and 5 meters wide. Researchers noted that while the port side was largely destroyed, the starboard side remained preserved up to 11 layers high - due to the ship having capsized onto its right side.
Unlike Goryeo vessels that featured a single central mast, Mado Ship No. 4 had twin masts - one at the front and one at the center - suggesting better maneuverability and speed. Its bow was constructed with horizontal timber for durability, and its hull was joined using small wooden pegs, with ir...

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