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Assuming that maritime archaeology conducted in Sri Lanka is new to most readers, the present paper has been written with a dual purpose. First, it tries to give some background to the birth and growth of the discipline in this country and shows its involvement in ICOMOS-ICUCH (International Council on Monuments and Sites-International Committee on...
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... site is very famous among wreck divers inter- nationally, partially because of its history, but also because of its location in clear blue water. It is believed to have no archaeologically sig- nificant artifacts now-having being stripped of all portable items-but a systematic study can yet yield archaeologically significant information about the ship as a whole (Figure 8). ...
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... Thus, the Colombo shipwrecks are often visited by local SCUBA tour operators and recreational divers. The first initiative for protecting shipwrecks as marine cultural heritage was taken by the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) in the 1980s, which established the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Shipwrecks (IMCW; Devendra andMuthucumarana 2013, Muthucumarana 2019). However, literature on the ecological value of shipwrecks in Sri Lanka remains limited. ...
Shipwrecks provide important habitat for reef fishes, but few studies have addressed how fish assemblages on wrecks compare to natural communities on nearby reefs in terms of species composition, diversity, richness, and density, particularly in the Indian Ocean. To fill this knowledge gap, we conducted standardized diver-operated video transect surveys on three shipwrecks and three nearby natural sandstone reefs in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The shipwrecks provided a habitat that is structurally more complex than the surrounding reefs. A total of 2918 fishes from 20 families and 30 genera were recorded, with 749 observed on reef sites and 2169 on the wrecks. A higher mean density of fish was observed on wrecks [mean (SE) = 17.2 (5) fish per 125 m ² ] than on natural reefs [11.9 (4) per 125 m ² ]. This difference was predominantly due to the snappers (Lutjanidae), which tended to aggregate in large schools in and around wrecks and constitute a resource for local artisanal fisheries. Wrecks and natural reefs presented similar levels of diversity at the family and genus level and shared 86.7% of genera. They nonetheless showed significant differences in community composition at both the family and genus level. Higher abundances of snappers, cardinalfishes (Apogonidae), and fusiliers (Caesionidae) were recorded on wreck sites while the natural reefs presented higher abundances of damselfishes (Pomacentridae) and barracudas (Sphyraenidae). These results differ from previous similar studies, indicating that differences in fish communities between wrecks and natural reefs can be idiosyncratic. This study highlights the role of shipwrecks as artificial reef structures and their relevance for small-scale fisheries and SCUBA diving tourism.
... Sri Lanka is in a strategic position within the east-west international shipping route, surrounded by the Indian Ocean (Devendra & Muthucumarana, 2013), with constant exposure to biofouling pressure. The Colombo Port was ranked number 13th in the world in terms of facilitating mainline services according to the Drewry Port Connectivity Index (Ports & Terminals Insight, 2017). ...
Sri Lanka occupies a strategic position in the Indian Ocean, making the surrounding ocean one of the busiest in the region. The lack of fundamental studies has created a void regarding the physical and chemical behaviour of the fouling community. A few studies have been conducted to assess the subtidal biofouling communities and invasive threats in key ports and surrounding coastal waters. This study explores the chemical diversity and environmental resilience of nine marine macrofouling organisms through secondary metabolite-induced impacts on biofilm formation and volatile component analysis. The anti-settlement assay revealed that Schizoporella errata, Botrylloides violaceus, Callyspongia diffusa, and Acanthella cavernosa showed significant resistance against Escherichia coli settlement within the first 12 h (OD600 < 0.1). The identification of known compounds with a higher degree of antimicrobial activity, such as dodecanoic acid, methyl palmitate, β-caryophyllene and β-asarone, further supports the findings of anti-settlement activity of macrofouling organisms and likely plays a role in environmental resilience.
KEY WORDS: Sri Lanka, anti-settlement, Escherichia coli, macrofouling, biofilm.
... The discovery of the Silver Wreck and subsequent looting of this and other wreck sites during the 1970s stimulated authorities and practitioners to examine their underwater cultural heritage management and legislative frameworks (Devendra and Muthucumarana 2013). While the Merchant Shipping Act of 1971 allowed the State to lay claim to all abandoned wrecks in Sri Lankan territorial waters, archaeologists with innumerable sites on land could pay little attention to maritime archaeology. ...
... The whole seabed of Galle Bay was surveyed using a Side Scan Sonar and a magnetometer. During these remote sensing surveys, the multi-national team located 26 significant sites out of the 160 identified anomalies (Devendra and Muthucumarana 2013). Amongst these sites were pre-colonial stone anchors, European ships from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, more modern ships and other important isolated objects such as cannons, ceramics and anchors (Devendra and Muthucumarana 2013;Devendra and Muthucumarana 2015). ...
... During these remote sensing surveys, the multi-national team located 26 significant sites out of the 160 identified anomalies (Devendra and Muthucumarana 2013). Amongst these sites were pre-colonial stone anchors, European ships from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, more modern ships and other important isolated objects such as cannons, ceramics and anchors (Devendra and Muthucumarana 2013;Devendra and Muthucumarana 2015). It is significant that even at this early stage, Sri Lanka recognised that its maritime heritage extended beyond just the shipwrecks. ...
This chapter presents the results of an archeological survey of porcelain sherds and beads that were collected on beaches around Mozambique Island. This assemblage represents a long history of maritime interactions dating from at least the fifteenth century CE which initially focused on the Indian Ocean, but eventually also encompassed the Atlantic. It first describes the collected assemblage, which includes significant representation from the Ming Dynasty (Wanli period fifteenth to sixteenth centuries CE), Qing Dynasty (seventeenth to twentieth centuries CE), and seventeenth to nineteenth century CE European wares. It then examines some site-formation processes that have impacted on the location of ceramics including shipwrecking events, regular harbour activities, and, since the 1960s, the removal and sale of artefacts to tourists. Finally, the paper explores how each of these activities has affected the relative presence and distributions of artefacts in the archaeological record and the significant implications this has for managing and preserving the cultural heritage of Mozambique Island.
... Evidences of shipwrecks from different periods indicate that naval architecture used a wide range of wood taxa for the various elements in a ship and these were mostly local to the building location (Devendra 1999;Guibal and Pomey, 2003;Burger et al., 2010;Gaur et al., 2011;Devendra and Muthucumarana, 2013). In the combined charcoal assemblage quality timber species, specially taxa such as Dalbergia, Tectona and Pterocarpus, were probably used for building or ship manufacturing and repair Burger et al., 2010). ...
The aim of this study is to present the anthracological results from three archaeological sites located in the North, North West and South East of Sri Lanka. The study is based on the observation and analysis of 1689 charcoal fragments using for support the reference collection of South Indian wood at the Institute of Archaeology ( UCL), Inside Wood (2004-onwards) and several wood anatomy atlases. Mantai (200 BCE-850 CE), an urban site, has yielded 25 taxa with significant presence of cf. Cocos nucifera among other taxa. Kantharodai (400-170- BCE), an urban site, has yielded 19 taxa from arid zones (Fabaceae, Rubiaceae), mangroves (Rhizophoraceae) and dune zones (cf. Cocos nucifera). Kirinda (500–900 CE), a fishing settlement, has yielded 24 taxa including Fabaceae (Dalbergia, Acacia) and Rubiaceae, belonging to dry deciduous forest and open savannas. This collective data set allows for the identification of discernible patterns related to the use of ecological interfaces between the forest and the open plains, used and actively managed by humans, and the possibility to identify if this changed with an increase in maritime trade and/or changes in agriculture over time. This study provides evidence of the differences in the vegetation present as well as use of wood fuel and other specific uses of wood for each site examined. It also sheds new light on tropical anthracology regarding quantification and accuracy in taxa identification.
... This research unit, staff and annual fieldwork are now managed and funded by the CCF. The unit consists of an archaeological diving unit, conservation laboratory and a small research library, situated on one of the jetties of the old Galle harbour 4 . The Dutch warehouse in the Galle Fort was conserved by the CCF and transformed into Sri Lanka's first maritime archaeological museum in 2010 and proved to be highly popular with visitors to the Fort. ...
During the last fifty years, many wrecks of Dutch and European steam powered ships, circa 17th century CE have been discovered around Sri Lanka. Stone anchors used by Chinese and Arab traders of 13th-14th century CE are suggestive of wrecks of different origins. The era beyond that is shrouded in mystery. Recent investigations by the Maritime Archaeology Unit of Sri Lanka have shed light on some of these ancient ghosts. A wooden wreck located in 2008 in southern Sri Lanka was dated to the 2nd century BCE. Now known as the Godawaya wreck and it is still under excavation as of this now. Another, known as SS Indus, wrecked in 1885 containing treasures of precious antiquities for the British Museum, was found on the north coast.
This chapter analyzes how the city museums of Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Galle Fort deal with the memory and legacy of colonialism in the framework of the expanding economic and political power of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Asia. In the PRC, the historical memory of the country’s colonial past has been shaped by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In contrast to the transnational nature of the communist ideology, the CCP’s interpretation of history is strongly nationalist. China’s political expansion in the ex-British colony of Hong Kong and its economic ties to other Asian countries such as Sri Lanka open space for a discussion about its power to influence these countries’ understanding of their own history. How is the expansion of China, defined by many as a neo-colonial power, changing the way other countries in Asia understand the colonial past? Is China able to exports its own vision of colonialism and post-colonial order outside its own borders? This chapter answers these questions through an analysis of the permanent exhibitions of three city museums: The Shanghai History Museum; the Hong Kong Museum of History, and the Galle Fort Museum in Sri Lanka, part of the “One Belt, One Road” project.
“The sea was our joy. Many of us who made a fresh start in maritime archaeology after graduation or as under graduates had very limited experience with the sea. Most of us weren’t able to swim adequately when we came to Galle. Apart from those living along the coast, the majority of parents still have a habit of keeping their children away from the sea, believing it to be something hazardous and unfamiliar. This is a strange assumption for a country encircled by the sea and in an era in which the world looks to the ocean as a source of unrevealed resources and treasures. For us, the endeavours of learning to swim, snorkel and dive were unfamiliar yet necessary tasks to start our careers.
The past, present, and future of global historical archaeology is addressed first through a comparative analysis of the development of the discipline in North America and the British Isles, and second by a consideration of the recent expansion of interest around the world and particularly in postcolonial contexts. Drawing from a range of global case studies, it is argued that the most productive way forward for the discipline lies in its ability to engage productively with contemporary societal problems and global challenges in locally rooted and contingent ways.