Archaeologists in Medan excavate artefacts believed to be associated with Chinese trade in the 13th century.
Ancient Trinkets Unearthed In Medan
Jakarta Globe, 25 February 2012
Archeologists excavating an ancient Chinese trading site in Medan have uncovered shards of porcelain, glass beads and even gold trinkets that they believe was part of the cargo of a 13th-century ship discovered nearby.
Ichwan Azhari, head of the historical and social studies center at Medan State University, said on Friday that the find was made on Wednesday afternoon by a team of French archeologists working in the Medan Marelan area.
“The likelihood that the items found are part of an ancient cargo consignment is strengthened by the fact that they were found so close to where we found the ship,” he said.
The remains of the ship, a Chinese trading vessel, was discovered in 1989 on the shores of lake Siombak in Medan Marelan. The site used to host a trading port set up by Chinese merchants and that thrived between 1100 and 1600 AD.
Full story here.
