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Study Confirms 14th-Century Temasek Wreck as Singapore’s Oldest Shipwreck With Record Yuan Porcelain

Ceramic analysis points to Jingdezhen production with a likely Quanzhou loading port during 1340–1352.

Overview

  • Researchers report the wreck carried about 3.5–3.8 tons of ceramics, including over 2,350 Yuan blue-and-white pieces—the largest such trove recovered from any shipwreck.
  • Typology of Jingdezhen wares and evidence of a 1352 imperial kiln shutdown tightly date the cargo to roughly 1340–1352 and indicate a likely Quanzhou loading point.
  • The assemblage spans Longquan celadon at about 44.5% by weight alongside Jingdezhen qingbai and shufu wares, Dehua whiteware, and various Fujian greenwares and jars.
  • Dish sizes and motifs align with artifacts from Fort Canning Park and the Singapore River, supporting a Temasek market rather than Middle Eastern demand.
  • The site near Pedra Branca was excavated in stages from 2016 to 2019 with no surviving hull, and the National Heritage Board is desalinating the finds for future museum display.