An ancient vessel from China's Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) and other artifacts preserved at the Shaanxi History Museum have offered insightful clues to the vibrant cultural exchanges along the ancient Silk Road.

The ship, measuring 9.71 meters long and 1.98 meters wide, was unearthed from the Beiweiqiao archaeological site of Chang'an, the ancient capital of the Qin (221 BC-207 BC) and Han dynasties and located in today's Xi'an City of Shaanxi Province in northwest China.
The vessel was listed as one of the top ten new archaeological discoveries in 2013, and displayed to the public recently after years of restoration work.
What makes the ancient ship so unique is that its hull is composed of 16 wooden plates connected with a large number of mortise and tenon joints, which was the first of its kind in China.
"The manufacturing techniques of this ship were very popular in the Mediterranean region, so we are wondering what the cultural exchanges between Chang'an and Rome were like at that time. The ship provides a material evidence of their close connection," said Ren Xueli, director of the exhibiting department of the Shaanxi History Museum.
The ship embodies the advanced shipbuilding technologies mastered by China during the Qin and Han period and becomes a cultural symbol of the ancient Silk Road.
"The ship and other artifacts offer us a window to see other parts of the world which are connected with China during the Qin and Han dynasties. We want to know the distinction between the Qin, Han civilizations and other ancient civilizations, and to know what contributions the Qin and Han civilizations had made to the development of the world civilization," said Hou Ningbin, curator of the Shaanxi History Museum.
Not far from the ancient ship displayed at the museum is a lacquered wooden pig from the pre-Qin period (before 221 BC). The pig is in a reclining posture and has a cute face, which has attracted many visitors to stop and take a look.
"In fact, Shaanxi is one of the four major sources of raw lacquer in China. Lacquered wooden artifacts are very hard to preserve in Shaanxi, so it is quite rare to discover this lacquered wooden pig in such a complete form. It is very lifelike, which reflects the superb skills of Qin craftsmen in making lacquer ware," said Ren.