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Three Dutch naval ships, HNLMS De Ruyter, HNLMS Java and HNLMS Kortenaer, were lost during the Battle of the Java Sea on 27 February 1942, claiming the lives of 915 sailors. Although the ships were relocated in 2002, no official action was taken until 2016 when an international diving team from the Karel Doorman Foundation discovered that the warsh...
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Citations
... Esta metodología ha sido aplicada exitosamente en distintos proyectos de arqueología marítima desde décadas atrás (Delgado et al. 2020;Gately 2013;Manders et al. 2021;Singh et al. 2000). Recientemente, también fue empleada en operaciones forenses de localización, registro y rescate como las de los accidentes aéreos de Yemenia y Air France, donde, con apoyo de un ROV, pudieron detectar y recuperar algunos restos de personas para su análisis e identificación (Commission d'Enquête 2013;Ribéreau-Gayon et al. 2018;SHOM 2009). ...
Este artículo discute las consideraciones teóricas, metodológicas y de instrumentación con las que es posible y necesario trabajar para auxiliar en la detección de restos humanos en contextos sumergidos de una manera científica, sistemática, y reproducible. Esta labor es también copartícipe del propósito de hacer de la arqueología una herramienta para ayudar a cerrar procesos profundamente dolorosos entre las familias que han sufrido pérdidas en el grave contexto de desapariciones forzadas en el México actual. Se consideran como parte del análisis los siguientes elementos clave: 1) la necesidad de un desarrollo explícitamente teórico en arqueología que incorpora estrategias para la resolución de preguntas, tal como es el caso de la arqueología procesual; 2) el análisis de las alteraciones tafonómicas que afectarán a un cuerpo humano y que se presentan en el escenario de un contexto sumergido, y, 3) el desarrollo de una metodología de prospección que incorpora tecnologías de punta de lanza en la arqueología marítima contemporánea, con énfasis en instrumentación de posicionamiento, geofísica marina, fotogrametría, robótica y buceo técnico y científico.
... It does, however, ask whether the legacy of a shipwreck is necessarily defined by its material presence, and how this might change when that presence has been partially-or, as has been the case with other naval shipwrecks in Indonesian waters, entirely-destroyed. In doing so, this article draws less on approaches that prioritize preservation, the law, or international relationships (Browne 2019;Forrest 2019;Lin 2020;Manders et al. 2021). Instead, it focuses on emerging and critical perspectives, drawing attention to the "insistence on intervention" (Rich 2021:227) that pervades archaeological approaches and the extent to which scientists (and scholars) are positioned as saviors within this paradigm. ...
... On 27 February the two sides met in what came to be known as the Battle of the Java Sea. The engagement was an unmitigated disaster for the ABDA fleet (Manders et al. 2021). ...
... In advance of the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Java Sea (27 February 1942, in which both Perth and Houston had participated and survived), the Karel Doorman Fonds, a Dutch foundation that provides support to former navy personnel, had arranged for a group of divers to visit and survey the remains of Dutch and other allied wrecks in the Java Sea. According to Manders et al. (2021), the Dutch government had sought permission for the expedition from Indonesian authorities, but had not received a response. Because the divers had visited the sites previously, it was "assumed that no permit would be needed" for the dive or the associated documentary filming (Manders et al. 2021:42). ...
Australian warship HMAS Perth (I) was sunk during the Battle of the Sunda Strait in 1942, claiming the lives of 353 men. It was not until 2017 that Indonesian and Australian authorities conducted a joint archaeological survey of the site. They found that Perth had been salvaged on an industrial scale, with less than 40% of the vessel remaining. The discovery devastated those with an emotional connection to Perth , and, following strong Australian government advocacy, informed Indonesia’s decision to establish a maritime conservation zone, the nation’s first, around the site. Although the 80 years since Perth sank have been characterized by a lack of official engagement, this article proposes that the recent destruction of Perth is not the end, but the beginning, of a new era of bilateral cooperation, founded on the recognition that the wreck has historical significance for Australia as well as potential benefits for local communities in Indonesia.
... As Flecker explains: 36 Other closed fields included cultivation of marijuana, catching of endangered fish species, removal of coral, and the manufacturing of certain chemicals. This assessment is supported by the widespread destruction of World War ii shipwrecks in Indonesian waters in recent years, which has in turn elevated to the international level the question of how Indonesia is physically and legally protecting these and other wrecks in its waters (Manders et al. 2021;Hosty, Hunter, and Adhityatama 2018;Pearson forthcoming). These activities are systematic, targeted, and industrial in scale, and a continuation of what has been happening in Indonesia for decades: the removal of valuable objects from shipwrecks for profit. ...
This article reviews historical legislation relating to the management of shipwrecks in Indonesia, examining issues relating to terminology, division of authority, and implementation. It focuses on the evolution of Indonesia’s commercial salvage legislation, from its introduction in 1989 to its abrupt cessation in 2010, when a moratorium was introduced. While the moratorium was interpreted as a sign that Indonesia was moving closer to internationally accepted principles regarding the management of underwater cultural heritage, the introduction of a new law unrelated to maritime heritage has instead disturbed this anticipated trajectory. Designed to stimulate job opportunities, Law No. 11/2020 on Job Creation has, perversely, raised the prospect that the moratorium will be repealed. As this article demonstrates, the changing conceptualization of the value of shipwrecks and their cargoes remains a live issue in Indonesia, reflecting unresolved tensions about its identity as a maritime nation.
... Sedangkan HNLMS De Ruyter yang memiliki kecepatan 32 knots dan dengan dimensi kapal 168 m x 15.7 m x 5 m (Lettens, 2019). Selain itu terdapat juga HNLMS Kortenaer, sebuah kapal perusak yang pada 2010 dilaporkan hanya sekitar 10-15% bangkai kapal masih berada in situ (Manders et al., 2021). Adapun Kapal HMAS Perth yang juga mengalami penjarahan besi kapal. ...
... Setelah kasus tersebut, Pemerintah Belanda mengajukan protes kepada Pemerintah Indonesia. untuk mencegah masalah tersebut berlanjut, Pemerintah Indonesia bekerja sama dengan Pemerintah Belanda dalam melakukan penyelidikan dan penyelamatan sisa bangkai kapal tersebut (Manders et al., 2021). Nantinya perlu pengawasan dalam pelaksanaannya apakah sudah sesuai dengan kaidah atau tidak. ...
Indonesia has various kinds of underwater archaeology remains as well as from the outbreak of World War II. Most of them are shipwrecks, and also several aircraft and tanks of Japan and the allies. The remains now left us with some problems such as unclear regulation, the difference between inventory and database, much research which do not continue to the application, and excessive attention to the shipwreck than the other remains. The problems mentioned above, are chosen by the writers regarding the investigation news about the missing of World War II shipwrecks in the Java Sea reported by the online platform, Tirto.id. From that case, we try to find more resources from books, journals, news, and government regulations, then discuss them from the point of view of archaeology. We realized that these problems are not the responsibility of one institution only. Some of the suggestions mentioned in this paper, and we hope the sustainability of World War II underwater remains in Indonesia will be still safe.
... The shipping lane clearing is carried out on ships and their cargo that have been in a shipwreck or are in danger, including lifting the shipwreck or its historic cargo in the shipping lane. One example of the case is the disappearance of three Dutch-flagged World War II ships in Indonesian waters (Manders et al., 2021). These three ships are HNLMS De Ruyter, HNLMS Java, and HNLMS Kortenae. ...
Indonesia’s abundant underwater cultural heritage is potential resource for the pride of national identity, as well as the socio-economic growth. However, current utilization of such resource is still merely limited to exploitable commodities with no consideration to its sustainability. This article aims to identify problems in the regulatory aspect of the utilization of underwater cultural heritage in Indonesia and to propose an alternative utilization model to respond the identified problems. Data collection for this study includes structured interview and literature study. Interviewees are selected people from The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and Association of Indonesian Archaeologist. The results of qualitative analysis on the interview show overlapping implementation of four regulations regarding underwater cultural heritage. This article proposes a utilization concept adopted from the ecosystem restoration concession model as an alternative for sustainable utilization of underwater cultural heritage.
... Hopefully, there will be other applications to this cooperation scheme to protect underwater cultural sites (beyond those under national jurisdiction) from the threats of pillaging and commercial exploitation. In the waters around Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, the World War II shipwrecks have continuously been the target of commercial salvage due to its low background radiation-free metals, which are sought after for scientific and medical equipment (Holmes et al. 2017;Manders et al. 2021;. In the coming few decades, the World War II shipwrecks will become subject to the provisions of the 2001 Convention. ...
Underwater cultural heritage (UCH) is a precious part of humanity’s shared history and heritage as it provides vital evidence and information about the interaction of humans with oceans, lakes and rivers. The Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2001 to protect this heritage which has become significantly vulnerable to threats such as pillaging, commercial exploitation and the development of the seabed with the evolution of marine technology in the latter half of the 20th century. The Convention celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2021 and has been ratified by 68 countries. Its annex, which provides rules about the activities directed at UCH, has become a major reference and is recognised as the established scientific standard for underwater archaeology and research today. Despite the growing recognition and application by the international community, the Convention has been ratified only by four countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Many underwater sites and shipwrecks have been commercially salvaged, particularly in Southeast Asia, and numerous artefacts recovered from the sites were often put up for auction, leading to irrevocable damage and loss of this valuable cultural heritage to future generations. This article as one of the themed articles dedicated to the UCH in Asia Pacific argues the roles of the Convention and the challenges and opportunities for the protection of UCH particularly in Southeast Asia. UCH contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and can play an important role in sustainable community and economic development. Its values and importance deserve to be widely recognised and advocated. Efforts for safeguarding cultural heritage in Asia Pacific needs to be pursued and enhanced through joining the 2001 Convention and with international support and cooperation.
... Archaeological research suggests that, as in many cases globally, ships overloaded with cargoes or passengers, bad weather and collisions were the major causes of capsize and loss of ships in Southeast Asia (Green and Gangadharam 1985;Brown and Sjostrand 2001;Manders et al. 2012;Pickford et al. 2000;Rahothan 2016). In a few cases, loss is identifiable by skirmishes or attacks at sea during the Second World War (Muangnapoe 2005;Priolo 2015;Manders et al. 2021). ...
Previous research suggests that the peak of Chinese and Southeast Asian ceramic trade in Southeast Asia occurred after the late fourteenth century and possibly ended in the first half of the eighteenth century. This has led to a lack of understanding about what occurred with this trade after the early eighteenth century. This article identifies six shipwrecks from the region with ceramic assemblages dated from the last half of eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries: Samed Ngam, Diana, Tek Sing, Desaru, Francis-Garnier (Man Nok or Ruea Mail) and Tha Krai. By analysing the origins, typologies, dates, functions and selections of these ships’ ceramics, it is clear that the Chinese-made armorial, Chinese-made Bencharong and European ceramics offer diagnostic evidence of post-peak ceramic trading patterns. These ceramics were products for sale, remains of earlier ceramic shipments or utensils for on-board living. This body of evidence is comparable with that of terrestrial archaeological sites that suggest other cultural influences among the more recent maritime ceramic trade in Southeast Asia.
New and emerging threats to underwater cultural heritage also have implications for international regimes of protection. These include metal pirates, sand mafias, deep seabed mining, green technology, rare earth minerals, marine genetic bioprospecting, Sino–US geopolitical relations in the South China Sea and climate change. Seafloor extractive industries, targeting genetic resources, oil, gas, sand or minerals are significantly responsible for steadily growing physical disturbance of the seafloor. In addition, the global transition to renewable energy in response to global warming, particularly low carbon technologies, has stimulated rapidly increasing demand for rare earth minerals. As mineral security has grown in strategic importance for all nations, multinational corporations have turned to deposits on the floor of the ocean. Another threat is found in the escalating politicisation and militarisation of the seas and oceans of the Indo-Pacific region, with intricate implications for underwater cultural heritage located in disputed waters, ranging from evidence alleged to be provided by sunken wrecks in advocacy of sovereignty claims to jurisdiction over salvage of metals from sunken hulls. Deep seabed mining and climate change both pose threats to tangible heritage, such as the final resting places of sunken ships and their crews, and intangible heritage, for example, the belief systems and cosmologies of Indigenous Pacific Islanders, which are potentially impacted by sea-level rise and associated erosion of the natural environment, including traditional seascapes and the corresponding loss of ‘spirit-scapes’, eroding the cultures of many Pacific Islanders.KeywordsSouth China seaMarine genetic bioprospectingDeep seabed miningIllicit sand traffickingMetal piratesClimate changeIntangible heritage
