Phu Quoc Wreck | Maritimeexplorations

Phu Quoc Wreck

(14th to 15th Century)

Background

The Phu Quoc Wreck is that of a Siamese ship of the late 14th or early 15th century. It was found by Vietnamese fishermen off the island of Phu Quoc on the west coast of Vietnam, and partially looted before it came to the attention of the Vietnam Salvage Corporation (Visal). In 1991 Visal called on Mike Flecker and friend Warren Blake to assess the wreck.

The compartmentalised hull was found to be in excellent condition. Unfortunately the cargo of Thai ceramics had suffered major damage during the wrecking process and through looting. It was not thought to be a commercially viable excavation, although Visal later returned to recover the intact ceramics.

Spread

The wreck assessment was undertaken from a confiscated Thai fishing boat equipped with a hooka diving system. A small airlift was used to dig test trenches across the site and a longitudinal trench along the ship's centreline.

Recovered Cargo

Some 1,100 intact Sawankhalok ceramic items were recovered during the survey, consisting mostly of bowls and small jars. Several thousand more pieces were later recovered by Visal.

More Details

· The Phu Quoc Wreck is located just to the south of Phu Quoc island, off the west coast of Vietnam and within the Gulf of Thailand. The water depth is only 11 m.

· Despite the shallow water, the lower portion of the 25 m long hull survived in magnificent condition. This is because it was constructed of teak, which is particularly resistant to marine borers. Teak is typically used to build Siamese ships of this era. They go by the term, South China Sea Tradition, which incorporates Southeast Asian design features, such as edge-joining with dowels, with Chinese features, such as bulkheads and an axial rudder.

· The surviving cargo consisted almost entirely of Siamese Sawankhalok cearmics. They are of excellent quality, and from the location of the wreck, were probably bound for the Philippines. Many would eventually have been interred with the dead, as covers for burial jars and as grave goods.

· Apart from the ceramics there was a consignment of iron ore, which oxidised and entrapped several storage jars within the hull compartments. There were also lead and tin ingots, and a bronze lime container, typically used for the preparation of betel.

Cargo Disposition

A selection of the ceramics was displayed in the Ho Chi Minh City Art Museum, while Visal offered the remainder for sale.

Publications

1. A Preliminary Survey of a Southeast Asian Wreck, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, Flecker, M., Blake, W., International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, Vol. 23(2), 1994.

2. Submerged Treasures, Flecker, M., Silver Kris, Singapore Airlines Inflight Magazine, January 1995.