DISCOVERY OF SHIP'S WOODEN PLANK TO SHED NEW LIGHT ON MELAKA'S HISTORY

MELAKA, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- The discovery of a wooden plank believed to be a part of a vessel found in Pulau Melaka here is expected to shed new light on the history and maritime activities in Melaka before Parameswara’s arrival in the area.

The extraordinary find during an excavation by the National Heritage Department (JWM), with the cooperation of the Melaka Museum Corporation (Perzim) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), is believed to be part of a 1,200 to 1,300 year-old ship belonging to noblity, predating Melaka’s official history that began around 1262 or the 13th century.

JWM deputy commissioner Ruzairy Arbi said besides the date, the size and material used to build the ship were signs that maritime expertise in the area had existed for a long time.

bootstrap slideshow

"We have found many ship components including the body, the bow and plank buried in the soil in our excavation and based on its structure and size, the ship is estimated to be between 50 to 70 metres (m), far bigger than ships found previously, including Mendam Berahi," he told reporters at the dig site in Pulau Melaka here today, in the presence of JWN registered archeologist Dr Mohd Nasruddin Rahman, project head Muhammad Termizi Hasni and Perzim general manager Erne Hamsah.

The third phase of excavation work at the 12x12 m dig site also unearthed large wooden block, which function has yet to be identified, but believed to be part of the ship’s main structure, he added. 

“We have sent two samples of wood to the Beta Analytic Lab in the United States and found that the ship had components made of saga wood, a local timber, along with merbau wood, along with a mix of construction materials that match shipbuilding of the era.

bootstrap slideshow

"This shows shipbuilding technology in the Nusantara region, specifically in Melaka was developed at the time and possibly fully built using local resources and not brought from afar,” Ruzairy said. 

More interestingly, preliminary analysis revealed that the plank’s structure matched large shipbuilding technics used by nobility in Melaka’s golden age and not ordinary trading vessels, he said, adding that coinage and porcelain fragments found at the same location also supported the finding.

"Based on the measurements and thickness of the plank found, the ship is estimated to be big, almost comparable to the ship Mendam Merahi that was depicted in early Southeast Asian historical writings.

“If we look at its size, it’s as if it’s similar to a ship owned by a noble. In modern times, it might be a yacht belonging to royalty,” he clarified.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Termizi said JWN plans to disassemble the ship’s components before they are sent for the next conservation process while secondary findings like shards of porcelain bowls and coins believed to be from the era of Sultan Mahmud will be exhibited to the public after excavation work and documentation are completed.

"We tried to expose part of the ship carefully because we want not only to identify the original position of each component such as the mast, bow, the stern and overall structure but also want to get an idea of how the ship was built, and who was her owner and her functions.

"For instance, no sign of iron or metal nails or their use were found. Instead the construction structure showed the use of copper nails or dowels, a traditional technique still used by shipwrights in Makassar, Sulawesi today,” he added.

-- BERNAMA