Vietnam: so many antiquities, so little time

As archaeologists excavate ancient artifacts and salvage antiques from old shipwrecks along Vietnam's coast, cultural officials are busy trying to prevent the trafficking of these precious finds.

The illicit trade is doing real damage to Vietnam's rich heritage and culture, even though the trade in antiques and artifacts considered cultural heritage is forbidden in the country.

In recent months, news of more archaeological finds and the robbery of more antiques have been appearing more frequently in local newspapers. . .

Likewise, only now are experts being allowed to start a salvage programme for shipwrecks along the coast of Vietnam, after local fishermen started to rob the wrecks of their ancient cargo of porcelain and ceramics.

Previously, experts could not touch the treasures because officials doubted the archaeologists' skills and technology to carry out the dives.

Five old shipwrecks in Quang Nam, Ba Ria -Vung Tau, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, and Binh Thuan provinces have been salvaged, yielding thousands of ceramic and porcelain handicrafts dating between the 15th and 17th centuries.

The wreck near Cham Island in Quang Nam province alone has 240,000 items, mostly ceramics originating from My Xa and Chu Dau, two famous ceramic centres in Hai Duong province.

Sixty thousand artifacts from the wreck near Cau Island in Ba Ria-Vung Tau are mostly ceramics from Jingde, Shanto and Dehua in China, while 10,000 items recovered from the wreck near Dam Island in Kien Giang are ceramics from Thailand.

From IPS News. The quantity of material being turned up sounds very impressive indeed; between the new finds and cataloguing and protecting known items, the Vietnamese authorities seem to have their hands more than full.

Posted by David on October 21, 2003 9:31 PM