Back Belitung-vrako Esperanto Épave de Belitung French Bangkai kapal Belitung ID Belitung batığı Turkish Белітунзький корабель Ukrainian 黑石号 Chinese
02°45′00″S 107°36′36″E / 2.75000°S 107.61000°E
The Belitung shipwreck[1][2] (also called the Tang shipwreck or Batu Hitam shipwreck) is the wreck of an Arabian dhow that sank around 830 AD.[3] The ship completed its outward journey from Arabia to China but sank on the return voyage from China, approximately 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) off the coast of Belitung Island, Indonesia. The reason the ship was south of the typical trade route when it sank remains unclear.[4] Belitung lies southeast of the Singapore Strait, approximately 610 kilometres (380 mi) away, a secondary route that was more common for ships traveling between China and the Java Sea, which is south of Belitung Island.[5]
The wreck has provided archaeologists with two major discoveries: the largest single collection of Tang dynasty artifacts found outside China, known as the "Tang Treasure," and the Arabian dhow itself, which offers new insights into the trade routes between China and the Middle East during that period. The treasure has been preserved as one collection, and efforts during excavation to maintain the integrity of the site and its cargo have produced detailed archaeological evidence. This evidence has provided new knowledge of the shipbuilding techniques of the time, as well as insights into the nature and style of the traded artifacts, shedding light on the trade between these two regions.
Currently, the Tang dynasty treasures recovered from the Belitung shipwreck are on permanent display at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore under the name "Tang Shipwreck."[6]
- ^ "THE BELITUNG (TANG) SHIPWRECK (9th C.)". Marine Explorations. Archived from the original on 12 February 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ^ Worrall, Simon (June 2009). "Tang Shipwreck". National Geographic. Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
- ^ "Belitung Wreck Details & Photos". Marine Exploration. Archived from the original on 1 October 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ^ "The Belitung Shipwreck". South East Asian Archaeology. 28 June 2007. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
The Belitung shipwreck is located a little too far south.
- ^ "The treasure trove making waves". BBC News. 18 October 2008. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
- ^ "Galleries". Retrieved 2024-06-10.