The Search for Kublai Khan’s lost fleet: archaeological research at Bach Dang in Vietnam. more

The Search for Kublai Khan s lost fleet: archaeological research at Bach Dang in Vietnam. y Adjunct Associate Professor Mark Staniforth y Maritime Archaeology Program y Department of Archaeology y Flinders University Vietnam y Rich cultural history y 3,500 km coastline y Lies on international maritime trading routes y Vietnamese identity = resistance to the invader y Archaeology is under resourced y Maritime archaeology has been a problem area The battle at Bach Dang Dai Viet General Tran Hung Dao Dai Viet defeat the Mongol fleet T e iet a pr ject y Naval battlefield site of the defeat of the Mongol invasion of 1288 AD y Collaborative research project between INA, MAP at Flinders University and the Institute of Archaeology in Vietnam y Preliminary visit in 2008 y Principal researchers y Dr Li Lien (IA Vietnam) y Randall Sasaki (INA) y Dr Mark Staniforth & Jun Kimura (Flinders University) y Dr Jim Delgado (NOAA) Making friends & influencing eo le Battlefield Archaeology y A battlefield is defined a place or area where a battle has been fought - importantly battles have one feature in common with shipwreck sites in that they occurred over a limited (short) time period (hours or days) = a restricted chronology event y Battlefield archaeology examines the physical (or archaeological) evidence that is preserved on a battlefield (such as weapons, fortifications, etc) y In terrestrial archaeology this kind of archaeology is relatively common but in maritime archaeology it is not Naval battlefields y Ships of war have existed and naval battles have occurred for millennia and in all parts of the world y Naval battlefields are places where a naval (or sea) battle (usually between boats or ships) has been fought y Difficult to study for a range of reasons John Broadwater on Naval Battlefields y Defines a naval battlefield landscape as ³a distinct geographical area within which a naval battle was fought, taking into account the natural and historical contexts of that battle´ y Suggests that the naval battlefields with the greatest archaeological potential will have one or more of the following characteristics: y An ocean site that is near land, especially if the nearby land has an association with the sea battle y An inland site (lake, river, etc.) that is near land, especially if the nearby land is associated y A naval battle that was influenced by natural elements, (characteristically strong currents or winds, rocks, shallows, etc.) The Naval Battlefield at Bach Dang y One of the ways in which the Dai Viet defeated the Mongol invaders was the use of wooden stakes sharpened at both ends and driven into the river bed y Clever use of fire vessels and a falling tide forced many of the Mongol vessels onto and against the stakefield y Some of these stakes survive to the present day y Top photo taken in the 1980s y Bottom photo taken in April 2008 Establishing a stake field Stakes in museums Inter retation 1 * Vietnamese Military History Museum in Hanoi * Stake field(s) extend right across the Bach Dang river and across the Chang river (to the Right) * Problem = depth of the river channel * Question = is it possible to put stakes right across the river? Inter retation 2 * Yen Hung District Regional Museum in Quang Yen * Stake field was V shaped and only prevented access in the Chang river * The Bach Dang river itself still offered an opportunity for the Mongol Fleet to escape * This must have been blocked by Dai Viet vessels or fireships or by some other means Bach Dang and Chang Rivers 2009 Excavation at Dong Ma Ngua IPPA Congress in Hanoi, Dec 2009 Landsca e archaeology & survey Dong Van Muoi 2010 Excavation at Dong Ma Ngua Dong Ma Ngua Stakes * Dating - C14 * Environment Dong Ma Ngua Dong Quoc Conclusion y Shrine to Tran Hung Dao located on ther eastern side of the Bach Dang river near the intersection with the Chang river y An on-going collaborative INA/MAP/IA research project Acknowledgements y The 2010 excavation was funded by the Quang Ninh Provincial Government, and the project participants were supported by IA, INA and my Academy of the Humanities Grant. y Research in previous years has been funded by National Geographic, the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and Flinders University y We are returning to Bach Dang in November 2011