|
|
|
|Santa Cruz – a chinese junk of the 15th century – Philippines | |
Santa Cruz
A sensational find near the Philippine coast: finest Chinese porcelain and ceramics. The cargo of a
15th century Chinese junk had remained untouched for more than 500 years, 32 metres deep at the bottom
of the sea, after the ship had run aground on a riff near the costal village of Santa Cruz. The wreck
was called Santa Cruz after the name of the village. The wreck itself is the best conserved junk of
the Ming Dynasty ever found, 80 % of the bottom hull of the ship are still preserved, and allows for
new insights into naval architecture. |
|
|
|
|
|The History behind | |
What happened
Heavily laden with porcelain, silk and more of the finest Chinese goods, the junk left China from one
of its south-eastern coastal ports about 1490. On a secret route, the Palawan passage, the ship struck
a reef, probably due to a navigational error, and sank within a few minutes.
|
|
|
|
When in time
The Santa Cruz was lost at a time when private overseas trade had been banned by the Chinese Emperor.
China isolated itself during the Ming Dynasty, from the middle of the 15th century onwards. People were,
however, dependent on the maritime trade, and illegal trade continued to flourish, despite threat of
the death penalty for smuggling.
|
|
|
|
Where did it happen
The ship was on its way from the south-east coast of China to Luzon, the main island of the Philippines.
It struck a reef and sank 15 km from the west coast of the island.
|
|
|
|
|