Shipwrecks & Sunken Treasures in Southeast Asia

by Tony Wells

Southeast Asia has been the hub of a prosperous maritime trade for many centuries. Just about every type of exotic merchandise was traded here - porcelain, gold, silver and the precious spices for which the region was renowned. It attracted ships from as far away as Arabia, India, Europe and the Americas, and though many sailed safely back to home port, others were doomed to sink a watery grave with great loss of life and cargo. Shipwrecks and Sunken Treasures in Southeast Asia weaves a fascinating story of the rich trading history of the Spice Route and of the thousands of ships that came here in search of riches. It explores some of the reasons why the ships sank and provides an eye-opening account of the fabulous treasures that still lie undisturbed beneath the waters of Southeast Asia. The book Introduces readers to researching shipwrecks, the practical aspects of treasure-hunting beneath the sea such as survey and search techniques and identifying shipwrecks by the artifacts recovered Updates readers about recent discoveries and excavations of shipwrecks in Southeast Asia Contains an eyewitness account of the search for the most fabulous shipwreck ever to take place in Southeast Asia - the Flor Do Mar which sank almost five centuries ago laden with the riches of the Malacca sultante. And to bring out treasure-hunter in us all, the author provides a comprehensive listing of over 450 shipwrecks that sank in Asian waters between the early 1500s and the end of the 19th century.

159 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002