Japanese authorities have recovered the anchor of a Mongolian ship off Takashima Island, believed to be part of a fleet that attempted to attack Japan in 1281.

An anchor from a Mongolian ship that sank 741 years ago was recovered on October 1.

This is the first time Japan has planned to recover an anchor. It previously found nine anchors during a survey for port construction, Mainichi reported on October 8.

Japanese authorities have identified two ancient Mongolian ships, and recovering the anchor is the first step in recovering the wreck.

The V-shaped anchor is 175 centimeters long and weighs nearly 200 kilograms. It was transported to an archaeological center and preserved in a tank filled with seawater. This is the first time the anchor has been out of the water since it was found on the seabed 741 years ago.

The new anchor is different from the nine previously recovered. The anchor has stones attached to both sides of the wood. The stone part attached to the anchor is 230 centimeters long and was salvaged on October 2 and put on display on October 8 along with the wooden anchor.

The anchor was found off the coast of Takashima Island, southwestern Japan on October 1.

The salvage of the anchor could provide clues about the ancient Mongol fleet, which remains shrouded in mystery.

According to Asahi, the Mongol Empire attempted to attack Japan in 1274 and 1281. The Mongols are said to have sent 4,400 ships in the second campaign, but when they reached Kyushu, the fleet encountered strong winds and most of the ships sank.

The salvage work was carried out by the Matsuura City government, with a budget of about 19 million yen ($131,000), including subsidies from the central government, the prefecture, and crowdfunding funds.