The research activities of the University of Naples L’Orientale in Indonesia continue. These activities are within the framework of the joint Indonesian Boatbuilding Endangered Heritage project between the Research Center for Environmental Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology and Sustainable Culture of BRIN (Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional – Indonesia’s National Agency for Research and Innovation) and the University of Naples L’Orientale.
Between July and August 2024, Aresearch team composed of Prof. Chiara Zazzaro and doctoral student Agni Mochtar continued investigations on the Lagoi wreck dated, following the mission in 2023, to the 12th-13th centuries. The wreck, 23.4 m long and 6 m wide, is in excellent condition in an intertidal zone near Lagoi, Bintan Island, part of the Riau Islands. The upper part of the wreck first came to light in 2016 after a monsoon storm and had been preliminarily investigated by the Archaeological Center of North Sumatra in 2017.
The architectural features of this wreck are unique and include a combination of ligature joining systems, typical of Southeast Asia, and other systems that are quite innovative for this region, such as the use of nails to assemble some of the ordinates and the use of long tenons, wooden tongues inserted into special cavities. The tenons are still perfectly preserved and offer a unique opportunity for scholars to analyze them in detail for the first time.
The excavated portion of the hull, the stern, revealed a clear organization of spaces on board. At the furthest part of the stern, a food preparation area was identified, characterized by the remains of a brazier, a small intact pot, a ladle, and remains of meals consisting of fish and chicken. Nearby were traces of baskets and shells. Proceeding from the stern toward the middle of the ship, fishing equipment was identified. The rest of the cargo included other baskets containing shells, opercula, fossil corals, clay ingots, nuts of various types, resin fragments, coarse black pottery, thin-walled black pottery with impressed patterns, red pottery, stoneware, celadon, Chinese porcelain, and two Chinese coins.
The project is funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the University of Naples L’Orientale and ISMEO – International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies. The Italian Embassy in Jakarta and local authorities provided assistance to the researchers.
