Nusantara Silk Route

This is a Silk Route for all traders, from as far as Arabia, India, Africa, China and Nusantara to trade; from oriental ceramics, ivory, gold, precious stones spices, perfumes, and other type of luxury and exotic merchandise was traded, especially in Malacca during the early 15th century.

As recorded in the Malay Annals (Sejarah Melayu)...Malacca was described as "...all the trade from the lands above the wind and from the lands below the wind came to Malacca; crowded with people was the city of Malacca at that time. The Arabs called it malakat, which means the collecting centre for commerce, because all kinds of goods were found there..."

This is one of the main reasons, besides its geo-strategic location in Straits Of Malacca, invited the arrival of Europeans to this region, especially the Malacca, Portuguese (1511-1641) and Dutch (1641-1796) for its richest spices, wealth and untapped treasures of Nusantara.

The Chinese also contributed to the growth in this regional trade by exporting ceramics and other commodities, during the Tang Dynasty (AD618-907), ceramics were a major part of China trade. Wares from Northern China were transported overland via the Silk Road to as far away as Persia (Iran). Goods from Southern China were shipped by sea to Asian kingdoms, to Middle East and North Africa by the end of Tang Dynasty. Artefacts of shipwrecks and ceramics excavated from this Silk Route were the obvious testimony of the above trade activities.

Besides these early Arab and Indian traders, the indigenous people of Nusantara, the Malays, were also traders.

These are the Islamic artefacts and Chinese ceramics from the South China Sea and Straits Of Malacca were found.

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