Singapore (AFP)
Two wrecks containing ceramics that may date from the 14th century and other objects have been discovered off Singapore, exceptional testimony to the maritime past of this island city-state, said the archaeologists who studied them on Wednesday.
The wrecks were discovered in 2015 off Pedra Branca, a rock outcrop east of Singapore, according to the National Heritage Council and the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, who worked together on the finds.
The study and recovery of objects found on board the two wrecks were completed this year.
The first wreck, discovered after divers accidentally spotted ceramic plates in 2015, carried Chinese ceramics possibly dating back to the 14th century, when Singapore was known as Tumasik.
Some artefacts are similar to those found in terrestrial archaeological sites, showing that Singapore was a hub of maritime trade long before the arrival of British colonizers in 1819.
Underwater excavations of the first wreck led to the discovery of the second, which may have been the Shah Munchah, a merchant ship built in India that sank in 1796 while returning from China to India.
On board were discovered Chinese ceramics, glass and agate objects, but also anchors and cannons.
Guns of this type were used on the merchant ships of the British East India Company, which allowed the expansion of the British Empire in Asia in the 18th and 19th centuries, the researchers said.
The vessel spotted in 2015 is the oldest wreck found in Singapore waters.
It carried "more blue and white porcelain from the Yuan Dynasty era than any other documented wreck in the world," said Michael Flecker, visiting scholar working with the Acheology department at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. .
"Many of these pieces are rare, and one seems to be unique," he enthused.
The Yuan Dynasty ruled China during the 13th and 14th centuries.
Most of the cargo aboard the second wreck was destined for England, according to Flecker.
© 2021 AFP