Jewel of Muscat Education

How a shipwreck helped the discovery of an ancient trade route to China

The Jewel of Muscat is a reconstruction of a ship that was wrecked near the island of Belitung off the coast of Indonesia nearly 1200 years ago. When the cargo and the remains of the ship were studied the story of an ancient trade route became clearer.

For the first time, strong archaeological evidence from the shipwreck supported the historical records that suggested there was direct trade between Arabia and China during the 9th century.

To reach this conclusion four questions about the shipwreck had to be answered:

• Where was the ship made?
• Where did the cargo come from?
• Where was the ship going?
• How old was the ship?

Where was the ship made?

The construction method, materials and hull shape suggested an Arab or Indian ship. The cross-stitched seams with no wooden or iron fastenings and the large beams stitched to the hull supported this. Trying to find out which of these countries was the most likely home of the original ship came down to an analysis of the timber.

The first test of timber samples in 2000 suggested that India could be the place of construction but the results were not conclusive. The samples, which had been buried in the seabed for hundreds of years, were in poor condition and difficult to analyse. The experts decided to try again and perhaps a second set of tests would give more positive results.

In 2007, a second analysis was carried out. The new tests were more successful and showed that most of the timber was probably from Africa not India. These results suggested the Belitung ship was most likely constructed in the Middle East, perhaps in Oman or Yemen. In these regions African timber was commonly used for shipbuilding. If the ship had been built in India, local timber would have been used.

Where did the cargo come from?

The cargo consisted mainly of Chinese ceramics from the kilns of Changsha in Hunan Province, with some pieces from other regions in China. Careful study of all the ceramics recovered from the wreck suggest they were loaded in the port of Guangzhou (Canton) during the Tang dynasty.

Other cargo included copper alloy bowls, small dice, gilt silverware, Chinese mirrors and Chinese coins. The overwhelming quantity of Chinese goods suggests the ship was on its return voyage and was involved in direct trade with China.