Belitung: The Afterlives of a Shipwreck

In 1998, the Belitung, a ninth-century vessel from the western Indian Ocean, was discovered in Indonesian waters with a cargo that likely was intended for the Middle Eastern market, including over 60,000 Chinese Tang-dynasty ceramics, gold, and other precious objects. This shipwreck is considered one of the most significant recent discoveries, shedding light on ancient commercial activities and the importance of the ocean in the Silk Road story. The wreck also exemplifies modern issues of heritage management, as the salvaging and sale of the artifacts contravened international conventions and sparked debates about ownership and responsibility. The finds are displayed at Singapore's Asian Civilisations Museum as part of the Tang Shipwreck Collection, though major museums have hesitated to host international exhibitions due to controversy. Shipwrecks evoke stories of treasure, tragedy, and history, serving as accidental time capsules that reveal personal and commercial histories. The book explores these themes by providing firsthand insights into the salvage process and the conflicts that arose, shifting perspectives from romanticized notions of shipwrecks to their role in understanding the relationships between sites, objects, and people and their impact on contemporary cultural narratives.