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The Archaeological Excavation of the 10th century Intan Shipwreck
NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 32.2
Through a description of the site and its excavation, a picture is built up of this busy commercial port, and the range of industrial and other activities associated with it. Much of this may have been the enterprise of one family, the Sestii, who seem to have manufactured amphoras, possibly produced the wine and almost certainly produced the fish sauce to put in them, and may also have owned the ships into which these amphoras were loaded. A recurring theme is the importance of Cosa, and, particularly, the early date of much of its evidence: the earliest examples so far identified of pozzolana concrete; of a Roman lighthouse; of commercial fisheries; and, of a bucket-chain for lifting water. Also from Cosa has come the greatest concentration of Will type 1d amphoras found anywhere. All these claims are firmly based on archaeological evidence. Cosa in its middle period does seem to have been the ‘chief port for the export of wine and garum (the potent Roman fish sauce) to the western Mediterranean, especially to Gaul’. The photographs of the site and finds are complemented by plans and reconstruction drawings. Some of the illustrations are small, but they are of such high quality that this does not matter. My main niggle is that the designer has created a deep pale blue header in which the picture captions sit, rather than adjacent to each image. The excavations at Cosa provide valuable evidence not just for the physical remains of a Roman port, but for the social and economic framework within which it functioned. This volume provides a very accessible and attractive introduction to an interesting and important site. PAULA MARTIN
The Archaeological Excavation of the 10th century Intan Shipwreck (BAR International Series 1047). MICHAEL FLECKER 163 pp., 200 b&w figures BAR via Hadrian Books Ltd, 122 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7BP, 2002, £30, ISBN 1-84171-428-3 This is an important publication for a number of reasons. The shipwreck in question, excavated in the northwestern Java Sea, Indonesia, in 1997, yielded a diverse and illuminating cargo from the 10th century. Michael Flecker provides an informed overview of nautical archaeology in Southeast Asia during the last two decades, and this is written from the basis of the author’s very extensive experience. More contentiously, this volume is an important contribution to debate about the role of the nautical archaeologist in a region where commercial salvors operate. Michael Flecker argues persuasively that in Southeast Asia (and other areas) where commercial salvage of shipwreck cargoes (treasure hunting) is sanctioned and encouraged by govern266
ments, and where intensive fishing operations including widespread hookah-diving make discovery and looting of wrecks near inevitable—that in these areas, and in the absence of adequately funded archaeological services, archaeologists must work with the commercial salvors, or accept the complete and irretrievable loss of huge amounts of material and data. More than 7,000 ceramic artefacts and 6,000 nonceramic artefacts (many made from metals) were logged during the Intan excavation. They originated from China, various parts of Southeast Asia and the Middle East. It is inferred with good reason that this represents entrepot trade from the Sriwijaya capital, Palembang, Sumatra, to Java. As a catalogue of the remarkable cargo this work perhaps reflects the constraints of working with commercial salvors. While the text descriptions seem adequate and the classification informed, each type of artefact is illustrated only with a photograph. The lack of profile drawings is regrettable; photographs do provide important information but they are no substitute for accurate drawings. At least one profile for each type would have considerably enhanced the usefulness of the catalogue, especially since it is not clear that the artefacts will be available for study in the future. Little of the Intan shipwreck’s hull structure survived to be excavated. From cargo deposition it is inferred that the hull was some 30 m long. Timber fragments show that Southeast Asian timbers were used and that hull planks were edge-dowelled together—the ship was clearly of Southeast Asian origin and given its date, very likely of lashed-lug construction. In discussing Southeast Asian shipbuilding traditions the author somewhat rearranges previous interpretations of the archaeology to produce tidy discrete groups. The Chinese examples of Manguin’s hybrid ‘South China Sea tradition’ are separated from the Southeast Asian examples making the type more limited in temporal and geographic range. It is stated that all dated, pre-14th century examples of lashed-lug construction show some use of stitching to join planks which is not quite correct. Leaving these nit-picking quibbles aside, a good over-view of Southeast and East Asian pre-modern shipbuilding is provided. NICK BURNINGHAM
The International Register of Historic Ships (Third edition) NORMAN BROUWER 383 pp., 21 colour & 300 b&w illustrations Chatham Publishing, 61 Frith Sreet, London W1V 5TA and Sea History Press, National Maritime Historical Society, Peekskill, New York, 1999, £50 pbk, ISBN 1-86176-101-5
Through a description of the site and its excavation, a picture is built up of this busy commercial port, and the range of industrial and other activities associated with it. Much of this may have been the enterprise of one family, the Sestii, who seem to have manufactured amphoras, possibly produced the wine and almost certainly produced the fish sauce to put in them, and may also have owned the ships into which these amphoras were loaded. A recurring theme is the importance of Cosa, and, particularly, the early date of much of its evidence: the earliest examples so far identified of pozzolana concrete; of a Roman lighthouse; of commercial fisheries; and, of a bucket-chain for lifting water. Also from Cosa has come the greatest concentration of Will type 1d amphoras found anywhere. All these claims are firmly based on archaeological evidence. Cosa in its middle period does seem to have been the ‘chief port for the export of wine and garum (the potent Roman fish sauce) to the western Mediterranean, especially to Gaul’. The photographs of the site and finds are complemented by plans and reconstruction drawings. Some of the illustrations are small, but they are of such high quality that this does not matter. My main niggle is that the designer has created a deep pale blue header in which the picture captions sit, rather than adjacent to each image. The excavations at Cosa provide valuable evidence not just for the physical remains of a Roman port, but for the social and economic framework within which it functioned. This volume provides a very accessible and attractive introduction to an interesting and important site. PAULA MARTIN
The Archaeological Excavation of the 10th century Intan Shipwreck (BAR International Series 1047). MICHAEL FLECKER 163 pp., 200 b&w figures BAR via Hadrian Books Ltd, 122 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7BP, 2002, £30, ISBN 1-84171-428-3 This is an important publication for a number of reasons. The shipwreck in question, excavated in the northwestern Java Sea, Indonesia, in 1997, yielded a diverse and illuminating cargo from the 10th century. Michael Flecker provides an informed overview of nautical archaeology in Southeast Asia during the last two decades, and this is written from the basis of the author’s very extensive experience. More contentiously, this volume is an important contribution to debate about the role of the nautical archaeologist in a region where commercial salvors operate. Michael Flecker argues persuasively that in Southeast Asia (and other areas) where commercial salvage of shipwreck cargoes (treasure hunting) is sanctioned and encouraged by govern266
ments, and where intensive fishing operations including widespread hookah-diving make discovery and looting of wrecks near inevitable—that in these areas, and in the absence of adequately funded archaeological services, archaeologists must work with the commercial salvors, or accept the complete and irretrievable loss of huge amounts of material and data. More than 7,000 ceramic artefacts and 6,000 nonceramic artefacts (many made from metals) were logged during the Intan excavation. They originated from China, various parts of Southeast Asia and the Middle East. It is inferred with good reason that this represents entrepot trade from the Sriwijaya capital, Palembang, Sumatra, to Java. As a catalogue of the remarkable cargo this work perhaps reflects the constraints of working with commercial salvors. While the text descriptions seem adequate and the classification informed, each type of artefact is illustrated only with a photograph. The lack of profile drawings is regrettable; photographs do provide important information but they are no substitute for accurate drawings. At least one profile for each type would have considerably enhanced the usefulness of the catalogue, especially since it is not clear that the artefacts will be available for study in the future. Little of the Intan shipwreck’s hull structure survived to be excavated. From cargo deposition it is inferred that the hull was some 30 m long. Timber fragments show that Southeast Asian timbers were used and that hull planks were edge-dowelled together—the ship was clearly of Southeast Asian origin and given its date, very likely of lashed-lug construction. In discussing Southeast Asian shipbuilding traditions the author somewhat rearranges previous interpretations of the archaeology to produce tidy discrete groups. The Chinese examples of Manguin’s hybrid ‘South China Sea tradition’ are separated from the Southeast Asian examples making the type more limited in temporal and geographic range. It is stated that all dated, pre-14th century examples of lashed-lug construction show some use of stitching to join planks which is not quite correct. Leaving these nit-picking quibbles aside, a good over-view of Southeast and East Asian pre-modern shipbuilding is provided. NICK BURNINGHAM
The International Register of Historic Ships (Third edition) NORMAN BROUWER 383 pp., 21 colour & 300 b&w illustrations Chatham Publishing, 61 Frith Sreet, London W1V 5TA and Sea History Press, National Maritime Historical Society, Peekskill, New York, 1999, £50 pbk, ISBN 1-86176-101-5