Shipwrecks spanning 1,000 years litter the seafloor near this coastal town. Cargo analysis from Chinese ceramics to European glassware traces changing trade patterns across the Indian Ocean.
A Crossroads of Maritime Commerce
The coastal waters off Launglon, in Myanmar's Tanintharyi Region, hold a submerged archive of maritime history. For centuries, this coastline was an important corridor for ships navigating the Andaman Sea and the greater Indian Ocean. The region, historically known as the Tenasserim Coast, functioned as a center for trade routes connecting China, Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East. Archaeological surveys have begun to systematically document this extensive underwater cultural heritage, revealing numerous wreck sites.
The identified shipwrecks are not from a single era but represent a wide cross-section of maritime activity. Evidence points to vessels from the Chinese Song dynasty (960–1279 CE), through the Ming dynasty, and up to the period of European colonial engagement. The cargoes preserved on the seabed provide direct physical evidence of the goods that fueled global commerce. Analysis of these artifacts allows researchers to reconstruct the complex economic and cultural exchanges that occurred along these sea lanes.
A Cargo Hold of History
The materials recovered from these underwater sites paint a detailed picture of historical trade. A significant portion of the cargo is ceramics. Wares include Chinese celadon, blue-and-white porcelain from various dynasties, and stoneware from Thai kilns, such as those at Si Satchanalai. These ceramics were functional items; they were valuable commodities traded across vast distances.
Alongside ceramics, archaeologists find large stoneware jars known as Martaban jars. Though named after the port of Martaban in Lower Myanmar, these heavy-duty containers were produced in China, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as locally. Their sturdy construction made them ideal for shipping bulk goods like oil, grains, preserved fish, and even wine and gunpowder. The distribution of Martaban jars, found in shipwrecks from Kenya to the Philippines, shows the extensive reach of this trade network. The presence of European glassware and other goods on later wrecks shows the arrival of new powers, such as the Dutch East India Company, and the subsequent shifts in regional trade dynamics.
💡Fun Facts
The term "Martaban jar" is a historical name for large stoneware jars exported from the port of Martaban, not necessarily made there.
The Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta first mentioned Martaban jars in his writings around the year 1350.
The Tanintharyi coast was contested by Burmese and Siamese kingdoms for centuries, with control shifting back and forth multiple times.
Some Martaban jars found in Borneo were considered heirloom pieces with magical qualities by local indigenous cultures.