Java Sea Wreck | Maritimeexplorations

Java Sea Wreck

(Early to Mid-13th Century)

Background

The Java Sea Wreck was found and looted by fishermen before the location became known to a licensed salvage company in Indonesia. That company began excavation, but their barge nearly sunk on the wreck and there was insufficient funding to continue. Pacific Sea Resources then obtained the co-ordinates. Mike Flecker directed the final thorough excavation for Pacific Sea Resources in 1996. The wreck is thought to be an Indonesian lashed-lug craft of the 13th century. She was voyaging from China to Java with a cargo of iron and ceramics. As much as 200 tonnes of iron was shipped in the form of cast iron woks and wrought iron bars. The original ceramics cargo may have amounted to 100,000 pieces.

Spread

The excavation was conducted from a 55 m long accommodation/dive support barge, with an attendant tug. The diving system utilised KMB surface-supplied masks with surface decompression on oxygen. Airlifts were used to remove the substantial overburden.

Recovered Cargo

Approximately 12,000 intact or mostly intact Song dynasty ceramics were recovered, consisting primarily of celedon-type bowls and dishes from the kilns of Fujian, China. There were also many covered boxes and jars, and an unusual painted ware with a lead-green glaze. Siamese fine-paste-ware kendis and bottles were also found.

More Details

· The Java Sea Wreck is located in the western reaches of the Java Sea, half way between Bangka Island and Jakarta. She lies in 27 m of water, far from any navigation hazard.

· Toredo worms and erosion have destroyed the hull. However, the minimal remaining evidence suggests an Indonesian lashed-lug vessel of about 28 m in length. From the location and cargo she was voyaging from China to Java.

· The surviving cargo consisted of 200 tonnes of cast iron pans and wrought iron bars, underlying up to 100,000 Song dynasty ceramics. 12,000 intact pieces were archaeologically excavated in 1996, after considerable looting and destruction by dynamite fishing.

· Unique artefacts include Indonesian bronze figurines, scale weights, ivory, aromatic resin, and glass ware. These indicate that the ship may have stopped at a port in southern Sumatra.

· The Java Sea Wreck is a fine example of Southeast Asian shipping being used to transport a Chinese export cargo. No doubt she had carried a cargo of spices and exotic forest products to China for trade. Despite the dominance of Chinese goods in Asian trade, Chinese shipping only started to play an important role from the 12th century.

Cargo Disposition

The ceramics were desalinated and studied in Singapore before half of the cargo was returned to the Indonesian Government, as per the license terms. Pacific Sea Resources donated the other half to the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA, where some has gone on permanent display. Exhaustive research continues.

Publications

1. The Archaeological Excavation of the Java Sea Wreck, Mathers, W., Flecker, M., Pacific Sea Resources, 1997.

2. The 13th Century Java Sea Wreck: Bulk Iron and Ceramics from China, Flecker, M., Proceedings of the Fujian Ceramics Conference, Singapore / Chicago, 1999.

3. The Thirteenth-Century Java Sea Wreck: A Chinese Cargo in an Indonesian Ship, Flecker, M., The Mariner's Mirror, Vol.89 No.4, November 2003.

4. Rescue Excavation: The Java Sea Wreck, Flecker, M., Heritage Asia Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 2, December 2005 - February 2006.

5. Java Sea Wreck Dating, Flecker, M., Nalanda Srivijaya Centre Highlights No.10, 2018.