Nautical Japan (English)

Exhibition on traditional Brunei boats opens

By Achong Tanjong

A “Traversing the Blue” exhibition, organised by Brunei Museums Department, was officially launched yesterday by Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Dato Paduka Awang Haji Yakub bin Abu Bakar.
The launch was held at the Malay Technology Museum in Kota Batu.

Also present at the launching ceremony were Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Awg Haji Jemat bin Haji Ampal, Director of Museums, Haji Matassim bin Haji Jibah, Deputy Director of Museum, Awg Bantong Antaran, and senior officers from Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports as well as departments under it.

The exhibition on boats aims to highlight Brunei’s past maritime industry, especially shipping related activities in line with national development.

Archaeology Officer and exhibition chairman, Awg Matzin bin Haji Yahya, said the exhibition also aims to provide an overview and pictures on local sailing traditions that are slowly being forgotten in the modern era.

He said the exhibition is part of Brunei Museums Department’s efforts to reintroduce various types of traditional boats, used mainly in the past that are not in use anymore these days.

The exhibition showcases 30 model boats and five life-size boats including the Tongkang, Pengabat, Pelauk, Bagong, Pedayong, Kumpit and Bidar Temuai. Also on show are materials used to make the boats such as ulak-ulak, ragum, pembahas, sapit-sapit, gigis and cecatuk. Boat remains from the Limau Manis River archaeological site are also on display.

Awg Matzin said, “In Brunei Darussalam, early traditional water transportation consisted of stems and bamboo boats such as Gaman and Rakit, while Gubang and Jompong boats were made by digging the centre of large logs using an axe and adze. The boats were used mainly along rivers, expect for the Gaman, which was used at sea.”

He hoped that through the exhibition, public members especially students could understand the national heritage, history, economy, and social culture of sailing-related activities, while increasing their understanding on the uniqueness and skills of boat and ship making in the country.

The Archaeology Officer said the exhibition is part of early preparations for a permanent exhibition to be held by the department when construction of the Maritime Museum Building is complete. Construction works will start soon, he added.

The exhibition coincided with the launching of the book, “The Boats of Brunei Darussalam”, written by the chief guest.

The exhibition, to be held from January 26 till May 31, is open to the public from Saturday to Thursday between 9am and 5pm and on Friday between 9am and 11.30am and from 2.30pm till 5pm.

Copyright © 2006 Brunei Press Sdn Bhd. All right reserved.

Chinese Find Underwater ‘Lost City’ in Lake; ‘An Extensive Series of Structures’

By Underwatertimes.com News Service

Yunnan Province, China (January 16, 2006) China researchers are reporting the discovery of Mayan pyramid-like buildings under Fuxian Lake in China’s Yunnan province.

“Gengwei, a professional diver, told reporters on December 19th, 2005, that images from sonar scans showed that a large relic covering at least 2.4 square kilometers sits underwater in Fuxian Lake.

“He said eight main buildings were found all under the water, including a round building and two large high buildings with floors that liken to the Mayan pyramids of Latin America.”

The round one has been described as similar to a colosseum in architecture, with a 37-meter wide base and a gap to the northeast.

One of the large, high buildings has three floors, a 60-meter wide base and lots of small steps linking the floors. Another is even larger, with a 63-meter wide base standing five floors and a total 21 meters high.

A 300-meter long and 5 to 7 meter wide rock road connects the two buildings.

The complex, located in present-day southern Yunnan province, is believed to be from an ancient civilization dating back to the Qin and Han dynasties, approximately 2,000 years ago.

It’s the same news about the construction of New Maritime Museum in Southern China. More information will be revealed about the plan later, but it seems to be a gigantic project.

Chinese scientists are about to embark on a complex operation to salvage a merchant ship that sank more than 800 years ago while plying the so-called “Marine Silk Road”.

The 25-metre ship, named Nanhai Number 1, will be rescued from its watery grave in the South China Sea 37 kilometres from the south coast of Guangdong province, the Beijing Morning Post reports.

The archaeologists plan to raise the vessel without cutting it into pieces first.

It is a decision that will make the operation immensely more difficult, but at the same time improve the prospects of the ship, preserving its original look.

To this end, a special salvaging ship is being built and is scheduled to be completed in May.

Even before success of the salvaging project is ensured, officials in Guangdong’s Yangjiang city have begun building a museum to house the ship.

The ship will eventually be moved to a glass walled exhibition hall filled with sea water, imitating the undersea environment that has been its home for eight centuries.

The “Marine Silk Road” linked China with India, the Middle East and even Africa in ancient times.

- AFP

Also, check this news http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25689-1969222,00.html

The group used to be known as KOSUWA has changed its name and some became a new organization. The celebration of this event was held in Fukuoka on the 18th of December. The member of this group had some “serious discussion” at the perty. What should be our goal in next years to come, how should we promote the study of maritime archaeology in Japan? I believe the new ARIUA will lead the Japanese Archaeological community in recognizing the importance of underwater cultural heritage management.

www.chinaview.cn 2005-12-12 14:16:09

Beijing, Dec. 12 — The construction of the Nanhai No. 1 Museum, designed to display more than 300,000 historical relics, will begin in Hailing Island, Yangjiang from Dec. 28, a source with the Yangjiang Municipal Culture Bureau said Saturday.

The museum, also called “China’s Marine Silk Road Museum,” will open to the public in 2007. It will mainly exhibit ancient vessels such as the Nanhai No. 1 ship and its contents, which have been salvaged from the South China Sea.

Covering an area of more than 130,000 square meters, it will be the largest theme museum of its kind in Asia, the Guangzhou Daily reported.

The 25-meter-long Nanhai No. 1 sank 20 nautical miles off Hailing Island about 800 years ago. It was the first ancient vessel discovered on the “Marine Silk Road” of the South China Sea.

Green glazed porcelain plates, blue porcelain pottery and other rare antiques have been found during the initial exploration of the ship. Archaeologists estimate that there are probably 50,000 to 70,000 relics on the ship.

Chinese archaeologists, using global positioning system (GPS) technology, have accurately located the ship and will make a huge “steel basket” to salvage the ship Dec. 28.

A research center for the China Marine Silk Road will be also set up in the museum, examining the social and economic development in southern China during ancient dynasties.

The museum also includes a water stage for performances related to the “China Marine Silk Road.” A diving club, a sailing club, a pedestrian shopping street and other facilities will also be built near the museum to help attract and entertain tourists from around the world.

(Source: Shenzhen Daily)

China team to finalise plans to dig out vessel

Story by MAZERA NDURYA
Publication Date: 12/13/2005
The fate of an underwater archaeological project to excavate a 15th century ship that sank in the Indian Ocean, off Lamu islands, will be known next week.

A team of Chinese officials is due in Kenya to discuss a memorandum of understanding with the Government.

The delegation, led by the chief of the state administration of cultural heritage (the equivalent of minister for National Heritage), Mr Shan Jixiang, will hold discussions with Kenyan officials before signing an agreement for the partnership in the project.

According to communication to the office of the Vice-President and ministry of Home Affairs, the delegation will be in Kenya on December 19-23 for the mission, a follow-up of a technical survey carried out by Chinese and Kenyan experts.

Other senior Chinese officials expected are Mr Gu Yulai, the general director of the protection of cultural heritage; Mr Zhang Jianxin, the director of foreign affairs, and Mr Tang Wei, a senior official in the department.

The multi-million-shilling project, says the head of coastal archaeology at the National Museums of Kenya, Mr Herman Kiriama, will also seek to unravel further historical evidence on the ship, part of a fleet led by legendary Chinese mariner Zheng He, who visited the East African coast about 600 years ago.

Another team of Chinese archaeologists, led by the head of antiquity, Mr Yan Yalin, carried out surveys at Shanga, around the Pazzeria rocks, locally known as Mwamba Hassani, in August and laid the ground work for the excavation.

They were then to travel back to China and come up with a pact that was expected to be signed this month to start the project.

“This will be the biggest underground archaeology ever to be conducted since the excavation carried out by Americans near Mombasa’s Fort Jesus in the 1970s,” Mr Kiriama said.

According to the agreement, the Chinese government is to provide funding and equipment as well as the structures for training and research. The training will be done in China.

A part of sunken cargo of porcelian has been on auction in Beijing. These are part of the Chinese export cargos from Ming and Qing Dynasties that were found in Southeast Asia. Sten Sjostrand, who is auctioning the cargo, said. “I put these on sale in China becuase I wanted to return these artifacts to its home land.”

Partially translated by Randy S.

There’s a special presentation at the new National Museum in Kyusyu! I will be presenting the research work on reconstructing the Kublai Khan’s wrecked ships. It would be difficult for most of you to visit Japan, but if you happen to live in Japan, or visiting Japan, please stop by. It is a great museum, and my presentation should be interesting too. Whereelse can you listen to the presentation on reconstructing the lost fleet?

When: Dec 22 (Friday). 2PM-
Where: The Kyusyu National Museum

If you have any questions, please do not hestitate to contact me via E-mail.

The Kyusyu Okinawa Society for Underwater Archaeology (KOSUWA), the only active nautical/maritime archaeology organization in Japan will have a make-over. KOSUWA has been the major research group that has been conducting the search for the lost fleet of Kublai Khan, as well as other projects in Japan.

This organization will change the name, and now it is registered as non-profit/governmnet organization. The new name is Asian Research Institute of Underwater Archaeology (ARIUA). This new organization will focus on promoting Maritime archaeology in Japan as well as contunuing and expanding the research.

To commemorate this event, on Dec 18th, a formal celebration party(gathering?) will be held in Fukuoka Japan. I believe this will be the beginning of the new era in the field of Maritime Archaeology in Japan!

KOSUWA has been the major organization in Japan for the promotion of Maritime Archaeology in Japan. Probably best known for the wrecks of Mongol Invasion shipwrecks. The research is conducted at this beautiful island of Takashima.