'X-ray gun' identifies sources of Song Dynasty porcelains from a shipwreck in the Java Sea

Abstract

The ‘Silk Road’, often thought of as a network of land routes across Central Asia, was complemented by a ‘Maritime Silk Road’ which passed through Southeast (SE) Asian waters as it connected China with South Asia and East Africa. During the Song Dynasty, China exported large quantities of ceramics to generate income used to pay for its imports. Interestingly, the ships which carried this trade were mostly of non-Chinese origin with Indonesians being the master sailors.