MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES FOR SOUTHEAST ASIAN MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY BY WILFREDO P. RONQU1LLO The maritime archaeological heritage of the Southeast Asian region is rich and unparalleled. The Southeast Asian territorial waters have served as the passageways for maritime trade, commerce and population movements in the region. For such a vast area the distribution of artifacts found in underwater archaeological context have been sparse and distributed widely through time but adequately delineate the area's phenomenal cultural past. Former land archaeological sites situated in the region's continental shelves dating to the Pleistocene Period are now presently inundated by water. In more recent times numerous Southeast Asian as well as foreign boats, water vessels and other large ships which sailed the Southeast Asian seas and waterways sank and floundered in the region's waters. Hundreds of junks, sunken galleons and other trading vessels are believed to lie under Southeast Asia's territorial waters. 1 0 SPAFA JOURNAL VOLUME TWO NUMBER TWO Succeeding frequent use of the propose and present management The general policies of the majority region's seas and other waterways by objectives for maritime archaeology of the member-states of Southeast the indigenous population as well as for the Southeast Asian region. Asia accommodate the active by foreign navigators and merchants Aspects of policies, depletion of the involvement of treasure-hunters in gave them a central role in the region's rich maritime cultural the region's territorial waters. development of a unique Southeast resources, development of the Asian culture and history. The role of region's capacity for maritine 1. The commercial exploitations of maritime shipping and trade archaeological research, conservation maritime archaeological sites are networks in shaping Southeast Asia's and cultural tourism and public prohibited in Thailand. A recent history and culture has been awareness, shall also be addressed. incident wherein the Royal Thai overwhelming as has been indicated Navy confiscated over 10,000 pieces by the archaeological materials of recovered Thai ceramics looted recovered from land archaeological from a shipwreck in the Gulf of sites and through historical Thailand indicates that country's will accounts (SPAFA 1884). Recent to stop the illegal looting of their cursory maritime archaeological underwater archaeological resources activities in Southeast Asia indicate the (Vatcharangkul 1992). tremendous potential of underwater archaeological materials in 2. Vietnam has not publicly revealed complementing existing archaeological ASPECTS OF POLICIES a policy on this matter. However, it evidences and augmenting historical has been reported that Vietnam is data. The lack of clearly delineated disposing of, through auction, 28,000 policies and legislations for the porcelain items found off the Lately a number of the region's preservation and protection of the southern port of Vung Tau in 1989 important underwater archaeological Southeast Asian maritime by a fisherman (Bacani 1992). sites have been plundered by archaeological resources make it treasure-hunters, commercial salvors difficult for the member-states of 3. The Philippines is presently and poachers, resulting in the Southeast Asia to adequately pursue enforcing a policy of granting unfortunate depletion of the region's a concerted course of action underwater archaeological exploration maritime archaeological resources towards the protection of these and excavation permits requiring the (Bacani 1992:20-25). important and non-renewable supervision of National Museum resources. personnel. Permit grantees are given The adequate protection and a portion of the finds. A separate preservation of these maritime The intrusion of underwater treasure- office in the Philippines grants archaeological resources has now hunters in Southeast Asian waters is permits for treasure-hunting activities, become a priority that needs to be a result, not so much by the the definition and limitations of immediately addressed if we are to implementation of strict policies in which are still subjects of controversy elucidate Southeast Asia's rich historic other parts of the world which (Ronquillo 1992:1-6). and cultural past. These submerged safeguard their underwater cultural archaeological sites and wrecks now resources, as by the present prevailing 4. Malaysia at present grants permits form part of Southeast Asia's significant conflicting policies and lack of strong in wrecksites which have "no direct archaeological and historical records legislations in the Southeast Asian significance for Malaysian history." and are important components of the region. This current situation, To ensure serious commitment on region's non-renewable maritime unfortunately, has abetted the the part of the private sectors who cultural resources. depletion of the region's maritime are issued permits to survey and archaeological resources (Gatbonton salvage historic wrecks, the company The purpose of this paper is to 1987). has to be locally registered with SPAFA JOURNAL VOLUME TWO NUMBER TWO 11 Malaysians having shares. In advances in underwater technology addition, the company has to the region's maritime archaeological submit a bond or bank guarantee resources are becoming easily amounting to 200,000 Malaysian accessible at an increasingly faster Ringgit. Only applications to survey rate which may eventually result in and salvage a specific wreck are an unprecedented degree of entertained (Taja and Mohd Radzi destruction. 1992). DEPLETION OF THE REGION'S The existence of conflicting policies 5. The Indonesian Government has, MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES and weak legislations concerning the since 1989, taken positive steps to maritime archaeological resources by revise its laws in their effort to In recent years there has been an the region's member-states may well safeguard their underwater heritage. increase in the number of underwater be one of the major reasons for the In 1992 a new law concerning treasure hunters, poachers and entry of numerous underwater Items of Cultural Property ensure salvors operating in Southeast Asian treasure-hunters in Southeast Asian penalties of a maximum of ten territorial waters. This has been waters. years in jail and/or a maximum sufficiently presented in Asiaweek's fine of one hundred million rupiah March 6, 1992 issue. whomsover intentionally damages or destroys cultural property and In 1985 tradeware ceramics, the site together with the porcelains and gold ingots from the surrounding area in which such Amsterdam-bound Dutch merchant (cultural) property is located or are ship Geldermalsen, which hit a reef carried off, moved, or are taken off Sumatra and sank in 1752 was away (Ambary 1992:6-7). salvaged by Michael Hatcher a DEVELOPMENT OF British national based in Australia. THE REGION'S CAPACITY FOR Illegal searches and explorations for The cargo from this wreck fetched MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH items of cultural property or valuable $15 million at auction undertaken by objects by means of diving, taking Christie's at the Amsterdam Hilton. The development of the Southeast away, etc. without the permission In all 150,000 porcelain pieces and Asian region's capacity for maritime from the authorities or the 125 gold ingots were sold at the archaeological research is one priority Indonesian Government is now auction. that must be addressed to properly meted with a penalty of a maximum protect and preserve the region's of five years in jail and/or a Rights to the Portuguese vessel, the maritime archaeological resources. maximum fine of fifty million rupiah. Flor de la Mar which sunk off The proper enforcement of these northern Sumatra are being contested SPAFA has undertaken steps in this ideal laws, however, still needs to be by both Lisbon and Jakarta. Malaysia direction. It has conducted a total of undertaken (ibid:7). is also interested on this wreck. It six Training Courses in Underwater wants back historical items they say Archaeology since 1978. These were In addition to the above difficulty is the Portuguese plundered from the all three-month courses which were the large Southeast Asian maritime Malacca sultanate. all held in Thailand, the SPAFA Sub- areas that may not be adequately Centre for Underwater Archaeology protected by the region's navies and Recent technological breakthroughs in until the present time. coast guards. The present prevailing the field of underwater exploration situation is conducive to the equipments and techniques put the SPAFA has been, in addition, depletion of the region's maritime region's maritime archaeological instrumental in sending Southeast archaeological resources. resources at greater risk. Due to these Asians to participate in the Training 1 2 SPAFA JOURNAL VOLUME TWO NUMBER TWO in Underwater Archaeology at the Australia, France, and the United conservation. Department of Underwater States with academic and professional Archaeology at Marseilles, France. institutions such as the Australian Active networking with underwater These 3-month courses were Institute for Maritime Archaeology at archaeology laboratories which have undertaken in cooperation with the Western Australia, the Direction des the technical expertise and personnel, French Government. A Thai and a Recherches Archaeologiques Sous- such as the Western Australian Filipino were able to avail of these Marines (DRASM) in Marseilles, Maritime Museum laboratory at trainings. France and the Institute for