An Artifact Assemblage from the Ancient Shipwreck At
AN ARTIFACT ASSEMBLAGE FROM THE ANCIENT SHIPWRECK AT GODAVAYA, SRI LANKA A Thesis by LOYALTY NERY SHI WE TRASTER-LEE Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Chair of Committee, Deborah Carlson Committee Members, Shelley Wachsmann Lilia Campana Head of Department Darryl de Ruiter May 2021 Major Subject: Maritime Archaeology and Conservation Copyright 2021 Loyalty Nerys Shi We Traster-Lee ABSTRACT The Godavaya shipwreck, located off Sri Lanka’s southern coast at a depth of approximately 33 m (110 ft), is presently dated to between the second century B.C.E. and the second century C.E., making it the oldest known shipwreck in the Indian Ocean. The focus of this thesis is a selection of diagnostic artifacts, excavated from this site between 2012 and 2014, consisting of a glass ingot, an unknown glass object, a metal ring, an iron spear, a benchstone, a grindstone, and many ceramic sherds, for a total of 31 artifacts. Its purpose is to attempt to contextualize these items within the Indian Ocean maritime network and Sri Lanka’s mercantile past, through artifact parallels, ancient sources, and previous scholarship. By identifying the likely origin, date, and purpose of each piece, the nature of this cargo and its voyage can be theorized. These in turn will address larger questions of economic activity and technological innovation within the history of the region. Primary sources from ancient cultures provide vital information on Indian Ocean trade connectivity, and the role of maritime networks in structuring Indian Ocean connectivity, and the role of maritime networks in structuring Indian Ocean socioeconomic life.
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