Between 1413 and 1433, seven fleets of Chinese ships were sent out under the command of the legendary Admiral Zheng He, a contemporary of Christopher Columbus. The last of these expeditions sailed to the Straits of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and were wrecked, and still lie on the ocean floor today.

Associate Professor Phil Mulhearn, from the Ocean Technology Group and School of Geosciences, designed the advanced underwater imaging system used to conduct the ocean floor surveys.

The first survey, conducted in 2009, uncovered another 10 sites where treasure might be found, and a second survey is to be completed in 2011.

These wrecks are so important because any discovered sea treasure will reveal hidden secrets about the exchanges between the Far East and the West in the early 15th century.

"Sea treasure is far better preserved than treasure found on land," explains Professor Ian Jones, the Adjunct Professor for Climate Change in the Ocean Technology Group.

So, while artefacts found above sea level will have been weathered and degraded over time, treasure found underwater on the seabed will be in almost pristine condition.

Earlier this month, the Confucious Institute held a public seminar at the University of Sydney where Professor Mulhearn and Professor Changqing Hu presented their expedition findings so far.