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Michael Flecker A Ninth-Century Arab or Indian Shipwreck in Indonesia First Evidence of Direct Trade with China
Michael Flecker A Ninth-Century Arab or Indian Shipwreck in Indonesia First Evidence of Direct Trade with China 1 Satô Masahiko and Hasebe Gakuji 1976, pl. 249. In 1998 an Indonesian sea-cucumber diver stumbled across a mound of ceramics on an otherwise flat, featureless seabed (fig. 1). A number of bowls and ewers were recovered. The distinctly coloured ceramics were readily identified as originating from the Changsha kilns of Hunan province, China. This ware was only made during the Tang dynasty (618–906), with the earliest dated piece bearing an iron oxide inscription, ‘kaicheng sannian jiuyue’ (the ninth month of the third year of Kaicheng era), equivalent to 838. 1 The position of the site was sold to Seabed Explorations GBR, a German company that holds a survey and excavation license issued by the Indonesian Government. The company carried out excavation work in September and October of 1998. Work was suspended during the northwest monsoon and recommenced in April 1999. The author directed the excavation during the second season. The fact that this very significant wreck has only recently been found is surprising. It lies only 4 Fig. 1 A large part of the shipwreck mound comprised stacks of Changsha bowls (Photograph: M. Flecker). Fig. 2 Shipwreck location plan (Drawing: M. Flecker). 4 A Ninth-Century Arab or Indian Shipwreck in Indonesia
Page 4 and 5: nautical miles north of the main to
Page 6 and 7: Fig. 4 A sharp twist in the garboar
Page 8 and 9: an Eastern equivalent (fig. 9). Par
Page 10 and 11: disturbed during earlier excavation
Page 12 and 13: other corners square. Two such piec
Page 14 and 15: anches, that has been placed betwee
Page 16 and 17: Fig. 21 Through-beams protruding th
Page 18 and 19: The resultant beam to length ratio
Page 20 and 21: The lead is thought to be paying ba
Page 22 and 23: Polychrome Changsha wares The very
Page 24 and 25: Smaller green-glazed jars have a sm
Page 26 and 27: and aluminium. It is typically used
Page 28 and 29: Other interesting artefacts include
Page 30 and 31: Discussion This shipwreck has the p
Page 32 and 33: perior axial rudder at about the sa
Page 34 and 35: The anchor from the Belitung wreck
Page 36 and 37: and easily worked, making it an exc
Page 38: that the earliest Chinese ceramics

Michael Flecker

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