Recording the remnant (2004) by PT. Nautik Recovery AsiaMarine Heritage Gallery Jakarta
Insights from submerged wreck
During Southeast Asia’s Classical period (ca. 7th to 15th century C.E.), Indonesia was the hub of an extensive maritime network that stretched from the coast of China to the Red Sea. The network was routing merchants, pilgrims, explorers, and imperialist along with valuable items.
Underwater excavation at Mampango shipwreck (2008) by Panitia Nasional BMKT and Panitia Nasional BMKT/ PT.PPSMarine Heritage Gallery Jakarta
Due to weather condition, navigation knowledge and possibly piracy along the extensive maritime route of Asia, not all boats laid safely to her destinations.
Shipwreck map on Indonesian waters (2018) by Ministry of Marine Affairs and FisheriesMarine Heritage Gallery Jakarta
Multilayered dots of shipwrecks
The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries indicates that there are over 700 recorded shipwrecks that were sunken between 1508 - 1878 AD. However it is only 186 of the shipwrecks' locations found.
Blue dots are stored based on hydrographic and bathymetric survey from the National Center of Hydrography and Oceanography, Indonesia. While the other dots are from research survey, fishermen report and commercial exploration survey
Through Heritage Value
Undeniably, historic shipwrecks contain not only source of knowledge but also economic value.
Undewater view of Cirebon shipwreck (2004) by PT. Nautik Recovery AsiaMarine Heritage Gallery Jakarta
Underwater grave
The actual number of shipwrecks is suspected to be much higher. According to a Chinese researcher, between 10th -20th Century alone there were at least 30,000 recorded sails to Indonesian waters and never returned.
Underwater excavation at Mampango shipwreck (2008) by Panitia Nasional BMKT/ PT.PPSMarine Heritage Gallery Jakarta
Preserved by the deep sea
The VOC (Dutch East Indies Company) recorded there were 557 sunken ships in Indonesian waters. Additionally it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of more ships sunk.
Jejak Kayu Belitung Timur 2Marine Heritage Gallery Jakarta
These ships carry numerous items of personal belongings, gifts and trade items that we can still recognize today and learn from. The remaining pieces of ceramics, old money, gold, statues and navigational equipment are important in understanding connections between Kingdoms.
Temuan BMKT Beltim 2Marine Heritage Gallery Jakarta
Valuing the Intactness
The remains of a sunken ship at the bottom of the sea is known for its 'time capsule' characteristic. Renfrew and Bahn would refer to these remains as ‘time capsules’, while Throckmorton uses the term ‘still in time’.
Jejak Kayu Belitung Timur 4Marine Heritage Gallery Jakarta
The wrecked ship and all of the items that came with it turned still in time and kept stories of the lives, the ships interactions, its sailing records from the minute it sails until it sank.
Jar and Its Underwater Realm in East Belitung (2008) by Panitia Nasional BMKT / PT. PPSMarine Heritage Gallery Jakarta
The deep ocean, with tens of meters below the surface, has multiple times more air pressure than in open air. This results in very little oxygen available in the deep ocean which makes it a perfect storage and preservation for sunken ships and all of its items.
Valuing the Intactness
This environment creates a time capsule for these items with very minimal transformation and therefore standing still in time as it sank hundreds if not thousands years ago.
Documenting Cirebon shipwreck (2004/2005) by Panitia Nasional BMKT and Panitia Nasional BMKT/ PT.PPSMarine Heritage Gallery Jakarta
Bring it to the surface
See amazing artifacts found on Cirebon shipwreck
Written by Sonny Wibisono, BRIN (National Research and Innovation Agency)
