Diversity of bacteria and archaea was studied in deep marine sediments by PCR amplification and sequence analysis of 16S rDNA. Sample analysed was from IMAGES (International Marine Past Global Change Study) 147 at site of the south slope of the South China Sea. DNA was amplified from samples at the surface layer of core MD05-2896. Phylogenetic analysis of clone libraries showed a wide variety of uncultured bacteria and archeae. The most abundant bacterial sequences (phylotypes) corresponded to the Proteobacteria, followed by the Planctomycete, Acidobacteria and candidate division OP10. Phylotypes ascribing to Deferrobacteres, Verrucomicrobia, Spirochaetes and candidate division clades of OP3, OP11, OP8 and TM6 were also identified. Archaeal 16S rDNA sequences were within phylums of Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota, respectively. The majority of archaeal phylotypes were Marine Benthic Group B (MBGB), Marine Crenarchaeotic Group I (MG I), Marine Benthic Group D (MBGD) and South African Gold Mine Euryarchaeotic Group (SAGMEG). Additional sequences grouped with the C3, Methanobacteriales and Novel Euryarchaeotic Group (NEG). These results indicate that bacteria and archaea are abundant and diversified in surface environment of subseafloor sediments.