SINGAPORE—Underwater archaeologists investigated the first ancient shipwreck ever discovered in Singapore waters, according to a statement released by KeAi Communications Co. The vessel, now known as the Temasek Wreck, dates to the fourteenth century and was located near the eastern entrance of the Singapore Strait. During that era, Temasek, which was the port that preceded Singapore, was a major commercial hub along trade routes linking China and Southeast Asia. Divers recovered approximately 3.8 tons of Chinese manufactured ceramics. Especially noteworthy were fragments of around 300 blue-and-white Yuan dynasty porcelain bowls, more than have been found with any other documented shipwreck. The cargo also consisted of Longquan celadon, Jingdezhen qingbai and shufu wares, Dehua whiteware, greenwares from Fujian, and Fujian Cizao storage jars and small-mouth jars. Lead researcher Michael Flecker of HeritageSG, a subsidiary of Singapore National Heritage Board, believes that the ship was likely a Chinese junk that was loaded and had set sail from the port city of Quanzhou between 1340 and 1352. Read the original scholarly article about this research in the Journal of International Ceramic Studies. For more on the island's history, go to "Letter from Singapore: The Lion City's Glorious Past."
