| Written by Cheang Sokha (Phnom Penh Post) |
| Tuesday, 10 February 2009 |
The government is seeking foreign partners to excavate the centuries-old shipwreck discovered in 2006 off the coast of Koh Kong province, officials say.
"We do not have the budget, we lack the technical expertise and we do not have trained [divers]," Khim Sarith, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and chairman of the commission for preserving the sunken ship, told the Post on Monday.
He added that the government wishes to remove the shipwreck's remaining pottery from the seabed at Koh Kong to preserve it, but was hampered by a lack of resources.
"The pottery is being kept in a warehouse in Koh Kong province," he said, adding that the government had plans to build a museum to display the find.
Initially working with a Russian dive team, the government broke off cooperation in 2007 and began negotiating with Beijing about possible recovery efforts. The negotiations were unsuccessful - hence, the new appeal for partners, Khim Sarith said.
The shipwreck, which is believed to be a 14th- or 15thcentury Chinese trading junk laden with ancient oriental pottery and artifacts, was found in February 2006 about 20 kilometres off the coast of Koh Sdech, after a local fishing fleet reported that looters were plundering the site with makeshift diving equipment.
Two Russian-led dives yielded some 900 pieces of pottery. Koh Kong casino tycoon Ly Yong Phat funded one of the dives.
Bin Sam Ol, deputy governor of Koh Kong province, said that, in a bid to prevent looting, the navy is guarding the area near the shipwreck around the clock and the local fishermen are prohibited from fishing in the area.
Hab Touch, director of the National Museum, said that they have sent two museum officials to train in underwater archeology in Australia. "It is not easy to take something from under water like it is to excavate something from the ground," Hab Touch said. "It is very important for us and a new start for Cambodia."
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2009021024126/National-news/Govt-seeks-help-for-shipwreck.html
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GMA News, (February 2, 2009)
Philippine Senator Pimentel has promoted more aggressive action in
the recovery of the Balangiga bells, a cultural treasure taken by
Americans when they occupied the city in 1902. He has also called for
the relevant government agencies, including the National Historical
Commission and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, to
proactively seek out and protect sites of historical and cultural
significance to prevent further destruction of important artefacts.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/147438/Pimentel-urges-stronger-action-to-
recover-Balangiga-bells-other-art-treasures
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Associated Press (February 2, 2009)
Officials in Ohio who ordered the removal of a historic rock in the
Ohio River are being sued by Kentucky. The state claims legal rights
over the rock, which they would like to put on display in their
state, instead of its current location in a city garage in Ohio.
Because the Indian Head Rock was a protected archaeological artefact
under Kentucky law, Ohio officials face charges of felony theft for
removing it. Ohio claims that removing the rock in 2007 was necessary
because it had recently been completely submerged under water and was
in danger of being damaged. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/
ap_on_re_us/rock_fight_2
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Charlevoix Courier (February 4, 2009)
Rights over the French ship Le Griffon, which sunk in Lake Michigan
in the 17th century, are currently under dispute between the state of
Michigan and France. France claims to have had a long-term interest
in the ship, whereas Michigan believes that there has been no recent
interest, and therefore no legal claim to the ship. French officials
have cast doubt on the legitimacy of Michigan’s argument because of
the state’s shortage of policies surrounding underwater archaeology,
and lack of staff with a background in maritime law. http://
www.charlevoixcourier.com/articles/2009/02/04/news/
doc4989d8b036c38665085874.txt
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Reuters (February 6, 2009)
A 2,000-year-old manuscript in Syriac, a dialect thought to have been
spoken by Jesus, was found after police raided the house of a
suspected antiquities smuggler. Experts have not yet reached a
consensus on whether this, along with a small figurine, is an
original or a fake, or whether they date back as far as 2,000 years.
Nine people have been charged with smuggling, illegal excavation and
possession of explosives.
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5152HR20090206?
pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0
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