History Talk – Belitung: The Afterlives of a Shipwreck (Dr Natali Pearson, Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney)

In 1998, the Belitung, a ninth-century western Indian Ocean–style vessel, was discovered in Indonesian waters. Onboard was a full cargo load, likely intended for the Middle Eastern market, of over 60,000 Tang Dynasty (619–907) ceramics, gold, and other precious objects. Today, these objects are on permanent display in Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum, where they are displayed as the Tang Shipwreck. This was one of the most significant maritime discoveries of recent times, revealing the global scale of ancient commercial endeavours and the importance of the ocean to these trading networks. But this shipwreck also has a modern tale to tell, of how nation-states appropriate the remnants of the past for their own purposes, and of the international debates about who owns—and is responsible for—shared heritage.

In this seminar, I trace the Belitung’s legacy across disciplines, nations and institutions: from mass ceramic production in Tang Dynasty China, ancient trade routes and shipbuilding technology transfer across the Indian Ocean, to the role of ship reconstruction in bilateral heritage diplomacy initiatives, management approaches to ‘orphaned’ objects recovered from the sea, and emerging opportunities to engage more deeply with the maritime communities and cultures of Belitung Island. As I argue, the Belitung shipwreck has served as a catalyst for politically inflected debates about the value of shipwrecks for Indonesia, China and Southeast Asia, drawing attention to the local, national and transnational claims—whether in pursuit of world heritage nominations or extra-territorial in nature—being made on maritime heritage in a strategically significant region.

Dr Natali Pearson is a DECRA Fellow (2025-2027) and Senior Lecturer in Heritage Studies in the Discipline of Archaeology at the University of Sydney, where she teaches into the postgraduate Museum and Heritage Studies Program. Natali’s DECRA research focuses on sunken warships and maritime heritage diplomacy in Southeast Asia. Natali’s first book, Belitung: The Afterlives of a Shipwreck, is published by University of Hawai‘i Press and National University of Singapore Press. She is President of the Indonesia Council, a member of ICOMOS and a Councillor of the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology. Prior to joining academia, she worked for the Australian Government’s Department of Defence in Canberra.

Registration link: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=102687