The Archaeobotanical Analysis of Flora Samples from the Phanom Surin Shipwreck, Central Thailand
Dublin Core
Title
The Archaeobotanical Analysis of Flora Samples from the Phanom Surin Shipwreck, Central Thailand
Description
The topic of this abstract fits best within this Session 7 Trade goods in shipwrecks – sources, routes and markets,
including glass on the Maritime Silk Road because this paper is about the analysis of the archaeological evidenc
es, especially the flora remains from the Phanom Surin shipwreck site, Lower Central of Thailand. The 2013-20
15 and 2021 excavations at Phanom Surin Shipwreck at Phanthainorasing Sub-district in Samut Sakhon Provinc
e revealed a number of archaeological finds in the Arab-style ship dating back to 9th century CE. The organic m
atters were dominantly counted. This paper aims to give an interpretation on flora found in the ship by archaeob
otanical classification and identification methods. Some specimens of flora artefacts, woods, ropes, and seeds we
re sent to a laboratory for doing scientific tests. The plant seeds were found in the stern. The analysis suggests th
at most commons are betel nuts and lucky bean seeds which were trade items. Rare items include rice grains, cor
iander, calabash (bottle gourd) and jujube. Some seeds are not clear to be identified. The macrobotanical remain
s were likely consumed by ship’s crews; i.e. nourishment, medicine, ship repairing and sailing. Some species ha
ve been known to the Arab manuscripts dating back to 9th century CE. The analyses provide further information
of tools made of domestic plants that were applied for ship building, sailing, and using on board that facilitate se
afarers’ way of life during their journey across the ocean. The significant finds show the relationship between th
e locals and the overseas seafarers.
including glass on the Maritime Silk Road because this paper is about the analysis of the archaeological evidenc
es, especially the flora remains from the Phanom Surin shipwreck site, Lower Central of Thailand. The 2013-20
15 and 2021 excavations at Phanom Surin Shipwreck at Phanthainorasing Sub-district in Samut Sakhon Provinc
e revealed a number of archaeological finds in the Arab-style ship dating back to 9th century CE. The organic m
atters were dominantly counted. This paper aims to give an interpretation on flora found in the ship by archaeob
otanical classification and identification methods. Some specimens of flora artefacts, woods, ropes, and seeds we
re sent to a laboratory for doing scientific tests. The plant seeds were found in the stern. The analysis suggests th
at most commons are betel nuts and lucky bean seeds which were trade items. Rare items include rice grains, cor
iander, calabash (bottle gourd) and jujube. Some seeds are not clear to be identified. The macrobotanical remain
s were likely consumed by ship’s crews; i.e. nourishment, medicine, ship repairing and sailing. Some species ha
ve been known to the Arab manuscripts dating back to 9th century CE. The analyses provide further information
of tools made of domestic plants that were applied for ship building, sailing, and using on board that facilitate se
afarers’ way of life during their journey across the ocean. The significant finds show the relationship between th
e locals and the overseas seafarers.
Creator
Preeyanuch Jumprom
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Jumprom, Preeyanuch. 2023. “The Archaeobotanical Analysis of Flora Samples from the Phanom Surin Shipwreck Site, Central Thailand Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, and T. Kurt Knoerl In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL: https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/1985
Files
Citation
Preeyanuch Jumprom, “The Archaeobotanical Analysis of Flora Samples from the Phanom Surin Shipwreck, Central Thailand,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed October 12, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1985.