via Marine Policy, 06 March 2024: Honoured to be part of this project – ‘Reuniting Orphaned Cargoes’ aims to address the challenges of underwater cultural heritage in Southeast Asia by reconnecting dispersed ceramics with their original shipwrecks, enhancing the cultural understanding of these artifacts beyond their commercial value. This initiative, in collaboration with Indonesian and Australian partners, employs advanced archaeological science, including machine learning and archaeometry, to analyze unprovenienced collections and uncover their historical significance. By integrating these findings with community management and sustainable development strategies, the project seeks to preserve the rich maritime legacy of the region, particularly Indonesia, and advocate for a more balanced approach to UCH that respects both its economic and cultural dimensions.
Southeast Asia, with Indonesia at its core, was the epicentre of the most extraordinary expansion of global trade ever witnessed along the Maritime Silk Route. But this story is incomplete because many objects of trade, and the shipwrecks from which they originated, were salvaged and dispersed without adequate archaeological recording of the details of their find-spots. This article critically assesses the prevailing legislative and ethical landscape of underwater cultural heritage (UCH) in Indonesia, delineating the underlying tensions between economic interests and scientific imperatives. Our consortium of experts and heritage authorities proposes a resolution through the ‘Reuniting Orphaned Cargoes’ Project, which endeavours to re-establish the connection between two notable collections of Southeast Asian ceramics situated in Indonesia and Australia, tracing them back to the shipwrecks of their origins. Archaeological science can shed new light on the cultural significance of the two collections whilst also unveiling fresh insights into this defining epoch of world history. Moreover, this approach addresses unprovenienced UCH, and opens paths to implement and refine the operational guidelines of international heritage conventions that govern it. By reconnecting relevant communities with objects of material cultural heritage that languish in institutional and private collections, this ambitious project builds capacity and utilises UCH for sustainable development in Indonesia, and across Southeast Asia. If these objectives are realised, the project will enrich our understandings of the past and secure the preservation of UCH for generations to come.
