Traditional ships in East Java and Madura and its relevance to a replica of Majapahit period ships (1300 - 1400)

R. M. Johnson, D. M. Rosyid

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

An attempt to reconstruct a Majapahit-era (1300-1400) Ship is presented. The study is important in that Majapahit was a Java-based, major maritime power of the then Indonesia with a far reaching influence up to Madagascar and China. A later construction of the ship is planned, and an expedition using the ship is seriously contemplated. The problem is to establish a conceptual and preliminary design of the ship based upon a very limited historical evidence of the ship. The basic feature of the ship can only be speculated from a study of existing Javanese traditional ships, a stone panel of Candi Penataran in East Java, and from several historical texts of "major" and "minor" literatures of the same period of Majapahit. A Javanese jonque is then proposed as a candidate for a cargo carrying Majapahit ship. The jonque is 25m long, double-ended, with two side rudders, 2 masts with tilted rectangular sails, of treenails construction.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationRINA, Royal Institution of Naval Architects - International Conference on Historic Ships 2009 - Papers
Pages33-40
Number of pages8
Publication statusPublished - 2009
Externally publishedYes
EventInternational Conference on Historic Ships 2009 - London, United Kingdom
Duration: 19 Nov 200920 Nov 2009

Publication series

NameRINA, Royal Institution of Naval Architects - International Conference on Historic Ships 2009 - Papers

Conference

ConferenceInternational Conference on Historic Ships 2009
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityLondon
Period19/11/0920/11/09

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