This webinar will feature two presentations.
Presentation 1: The Phanom-Surin Shipwreck and Cultural Exchange between Mainland Southeast Asia and the wider Indian Ocean World
Speaker: Abhirada Komoot (PhD Candidate, University of Western Australia)
During the late 1st millennium CE the maritime trade network in the Indian Ocean gradually expanded, before its decline in the 10th century CE. The 9th century CE Phanom-Surin shipwreck (PNS) reveals a sewn-plank construction technique similar to that of the Arabian Sea region. The wreck site is located in the lower central plain of Thailand approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Bangkok. During the 6th–11th centuries the area was occupied by the Dvaravati people. Along with previously recovered archaeological evidence, the wreck allows us to reflect on the connections between Indian Ocean seafarers and the people of Dvaravati. This presentation considers the archaeological evidence and the Arab and Chinese texts that highlight the role of multi-cultural merchants in the regional Southeast Asian shipping business and their contact with Dvaravati.
Presentation 2: Champa’s Long-distance Cultural Exchange: A View from Maritime Archaeology and History
Speaker: Do Truong Giang (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences)
Previous studies mainly present Champa as a kingdom profoundly impacted by Indian civilization. More recent studies, however, have demonstrated that Champa also greatly benefited from exchanges with other cultural centers, especially China and the Middle East. Based on Chinese historical documents, inscriptions of ancient Champa, and the recent discovery of the 9th century Chau Tan shipwreck in central Vietnam, this presentation aims to shed new light on cross-cultural trade and long-distance exchanges from the 8th to the 13th century CE. On one hand, it will take the tributary trade between Champa and the Tang and Song courts of China into account. On the other hand, it will discuss Champa’s engagement in the expansion of Muslim maritime trade networks in the Indian Ocean.
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