MELAKA: Recently unearthed remnants of a wooden vessel and other artefacts could be the first discovery of links to the Melaka Sultanate. The vessel is believed to be linked to the last ruler of Melaka, Sultan Mahmud Shah (1488-1511), said Datuk Dr Dionysius SK Sharma. The archaeology buff is currently working closely with the National Heritage Department and Melaka Museum Corporation (Perzim) to unearth tangible artefacts relating to the sultanate. "We used to discover remnants of galleons related to the (former colonialists) Dutch and Portuguese as well as Chinese junks," he said when met at the discovery site on Pulau Melaka on Friday (April 2).