Uncovering sunken treasure

[Kara Sundstrom]

aturday December 5, 2009
Uncovering sunken treasure

For the past five years Horst H. Liebner has been uncovering the mystery behind 1,000-year-old artifacts recovered from two sunken treasures in the Java Sea.

Since1987, the German scholar has been researching maritime culture and the history of the Malay Archipelago.

As scientific advisor, Liebner, 49, who is based in Makassar, Sulawesi, has painstakingly pieced together information gathered from diverse sources to identify the two 10th century cargo ships that went down, now codenamed the Cirebon/Nan-Han and the Karawang.

Gold artifacts

Besides 10th century coins as well as white and green-glazed ceramics from China, Liebner also documented gold artifacts including a dagger handle, glass bottles and bronze mirror. He has set up a database to register, measure, describe and evaluate underwater finds.

[Kara Sundstrom]

“I was educated as a Malayologist, that is, a scholar on ‘Malay’ literature, language, culture and history. I specialise in boatbuilding, coastal societies and maritime culture and history,” says Liebner in an e-mail interview.

“Shipwreck finds are of huge interest to me, as they provide the only first-hand information on trade, ship construction and life on the sea, etc.

“However, I do not have any commercial interest in ‘treasure hunting’. The real treasure of any archaeological find is knowledge for our future and the future of our children.”

[Kara Sundstrom]

 Bugis culture

An expert on ancient boat-building techniques especially Bugis ships, Liebner was engaged by Indonesia’s Research Agency for Marine Affairs and Fisheries, to study the origin of the Cirebon/Nan-Han wreck in 2004. He travels between Jakarta and Makassar, where he lives with his wife.

“My first research was about Bugis boat-building and navigation. Thus, I had to do research in south Sulawesi. Until today, the peninsular is still one of the main centres of Indonesian/Malay maritime activities — not surprisingly, I got stuck there.

“However, I have to spend more time in Jakarta for work, and we now have an apartment there. But we still maintain a house at the Somba Opu Cultural Park in Makassar.

> Horst H. Liebner will address the Southeast Asian Ceramic Society, West Malaysia Chapter, on Cargos for Java: Two 10th Century Shipwrecks on Dec 10 at the Central Market in Kuala Lumpur. The lecture is open to the public with a donation of RM20.

For details, send a text message to the SEACS Hon. Secretary at +6-019-6620979.

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/12/5/lifeliving/5226739&sec=lifeliving