Belitung shipwreck

[14] The front of the ship featured a 61° angle of rake at the bow, where the stem post was joined to the keel using mortise and tenon joints, secured by a 16 millimetres (0.63 in) diameter rope.

"[14] Although no Arabian ships of this type had been previously discovered, references to them exist in historical texts, including the late-Tang Ling biao lu yi [zh] ("Strange Things Noted in the South").

According to John Guy, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this text "describes the ships of foreign merchants as being stitched together with the fiber of coir-palms and having their seams caulked rather than using iron nails to secure their planks."

The Jewel of Muscat reconstruction—a replica built as an exact copy of the wreck—demonstrated that the ship resembles a baitl qarib, a type of vessel still found in Oman today.

[20] Within the hull of the shipwreck, large lumps of concretion contained artifacts from the ship's cargo, dating back to the Tang dynasty of China, around 800 AD.

The world debut exhibition, showcasing both the artifacts and timbers from the ship, took place at the ArtScience Museum, adjacent to Singapore's Marina Bay Sands.

[22] The historical significance of the shipwreck's discovery led to the decision to construct the Jewel of Muscat as a faithful reconstruction of the original dhow.

[5] The cargo showed a variety of influences and markets, featuring designs such as Buddhist lotus symbols, motifs from Central Asia and Persia, Koranic inscriptions, and green-splashed bowls popular in Iran.

[24] The cargo also included a variety of items, such as spice jars (martaban), ewers, inkwells, funeral urns, and gilt-silver boxes.

[21][25] According to John Guy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the cargo represented "the richest and largest consignment of early ninth-century southern Chinese gold and ceramics ever discovered in a single hoard.

Although some looting occurred at the site, especially between excavation periods,[26] Walterfang maintained the integrity of the cargo, allowing it to be studied in its original context.

According to Julian Raby, director of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, this decision has provided "unparalleled insight into China’s industrial capacity and global trade.

"[27] The cargo was conserved for six years at a private facility, where artefacts underwent meticulous preservation processes, including desalination, study, and careful restoration by Walterfang’s company, Seabed Explorations Ltd of New Zealand.

[34] In April 2015, it was announced that the Tang Shipwreck collection would find a permanent home at the Asian Civilisations Museum, where it is now displayed in the Khoo Teck Puat Gallery.

[38] The postponement followed criticism surrounding the timing and nature of the original excavation of the artifacts, sparking debate over whether the exhibit should proceed.

[43] James P. Delgado, director of maritime heritage at the United States Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, expressed that "allowing any of the finds from an excavation to be sold betrays the most basic aspects of research," yet he noted that the exhibition could serve as a platform to educate the public about the implications of commercializing underwater heritage rather than canceling it outright.

[40] Tilman Walterfang, head of the company that excavated the wreck, admitted that the situation was "less than ideal," stating that "the Indonesian government, fearful of looting, ordered Seabed Explorations to begin an immediate round-the-clock recovery operation.

Lu Caixia, a researcher at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, noted in the International Institute for Asian Studies newsletter that "the excavation of the Belitung has been acknowledged as an admirable example of what can be achieved under difficult conditions in Southeast Asia," and praised Walterfang’s commitment to preserving the ship structure and cargo.

[44] Prof. Victor H. Mair, Professor of Chinese Language and Literature at the University of Pennsylvania, also supported the Smithsonian exhibition, emphasizing the "enormous educational and historical value" of the collection and arguing that critics were depriving the public and researchers of valuable knowledge.

[45][46] In an interview with the Science Journal G. Wayne Clough, the 12th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution assuaged the animosities between critics and proponents of the exhibition: "So I don't think there's anything negative here.