What Happened
In 2013, a violent storm exposed a shipwreck province, central Vietnam. The discovery quickly drew the attention of local villagers, triggering a frantic wave of illicit pot-hunting. Consequently, artifacts salvaged suffered varying degrees of damage.
, local ceramics collector Mr. seized the opportunity to acquire a diverse . Although many pieces were broken, they provided a remarkably comprehensive sample 's cargo. Mr. Lam even managed to salvage remnants of the vessel's wooden hull, preserves in a large, open shelter . In 2014, accompanied by fellow collectors from Singapore, I had the privilege of visiting Mr. Lam to inspect these artifacts and examine the structural timbers firsthand.
The ceramics similar Belitung wreck. It consisted of mainly Changsha painted wares, Yue Greenware, Guangdong greenwares. The construction technology appears to differ from the Belitung Dhow and likely of the Southeast Asian ship building technology.
The ceramic assemblage a striking resemblance to the famous Tang-era Belitung wreck. It primarily comprises:
Why It Matters
However, while their cargoes are textually similar, the physical vessels themselves differ substantially. Preliminary observations indicate constructed using Southeast Asian shipbuilding technology, contrasting sharply stitched-plank dhow construction of the Belitung vessel.
, a large number of Guangdong green-glazed jars feature black ink Arabic inscriptions . Epigraphic experts suggest these inscriptions are religious invocations or prayers seeking safe passage for the vessel . This discovery adds valuable material evidence to the historical narrative of active Arab merchant involvement in Tang maritime networks.
Traces of this historical Arab presence remain visible in Guangzhou today. The lighthouse of the Huaisheng Mosque (广州怀圣清真寺), Islamic architectural style, historically guided foreign vessels entering the Guangzhou port during the Tang Dynasty. The mosque stands near Guangta Road (光塔路), foreign merchants historically congregated, settled, and operated specialized markets—a history still reflected street names today.
reliably second 9th century (late Tang Dynasty), placing it roughly 50 to 70 Belitung wreck, which is securely tied to 826 CE. This chronological gap is demonstrated by a comparative analysis of the Changsha :
What Comes Next
Ceramic Feature Belitung Wreck (c. 826 CE) Transparent light brown/yellow glaze with a green cast Creamy Decorative Style: Meticulous iron-brown and copper-green painting of clouds, birds, floral motifs and abstract Arabic scripts Rapid
(Late 9th Century) Glaze Typology: milky- a subtle blue cast Decorative Style: abstract splashes—a style Chinese scholars classify as a hallmark of late-stage Changsha production
designation is further supported by recent terrestrial archaeology in China. An ancient pier site discovered in Changsha, Dynasties period (907–960 CE), yielded identical Changsha vessels featuring these abstract color splashes. This suggests emerged in the closing decades Dynasty, production continued seamlessly 10th century.
A retain the classic yellow Belitung wreck, but their execution differs. These transitional pieces feature foliated rims and distinct unglazed , an optimization for stack-firing inside the kilns.
Furthermore, the profiles evolved. Belitung upright with angular, squared shoulders. In contrast, elongated and slender with gently rounded shoulders. Several exhibit "dish-mouth" rims, a design feature that surged in popularity among various regional Chinese kilns during Dynasties periods.
Though initially inconclusive, a fragment of a Yue celadon bowl provided a critical breakthrough. The vessel features incised characters . character was clearly identified as Qian (乾), the second character was initially interpreted strokes of Heng (亨). correct, Qianheng (917–925 CE), a Southern Han (南汉) Kingdom during the Five Dynasties period.
Correction & Update: PhD candidate Mr. Yang Yang (Jingdezhen Ceramic University) -examined the fragment and correctly identified the second character as fu (符). actually Qianfu (乾符), which corresponds 874–879 CE. This epigraphic evidence places precisely 870s, firmly within the tumultuous final decades Dynasty.
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