The Wanli Shipwreck and its Ceramic Cargo [first edition]

This publication sets new standards for the reporting and analysis of shipwreck sites in Southeast Asia. Its two most important elements are a full accounting of the archaeological excavation itself and then an inventory of the artefacts recovered. Significantly, the artefacts include a major cargo of some 37,000 pieces Chinese kraak porcelain that the authors (after thorough analysis) assign to +/- 1625. The solid archaeological context for the ceramics adds significant new data to studies of 17th century ceramics that now requires previous studies be reviewed and refined. Besides 650 full color illustrations, there are drawings, maps and illustrations of the site, both ceramic and non-ceramic artefacts, and ship parts and fittings. One section systematically reviews the symbolism of the blue and white designs, and another gives the historical background for their production in China. The report documents a fruitful relationship between Malaysia's Department of Museums and Sten Sjostrand of Nanhai Marine Archaeology that began in the early 1990s. The excavation of The Wanli Shipwreck in Malaysia's territorial waters is only the latest chapter in their joint efforts to illuminate history through projects in maritime archaeology. The accumulated details of this shipwreck site reveal a surprising and explosive history - the date, the historical circumstances, the mounds of shattered porcelain associated with broken and missing hull planks lead intractably to the theory that the vessel was a Portuguese-managed ship that sank in a sea battle with Dutch forces that were seeking to control the port of Melaka. Dr. Roxanna M. Brown