Studies On Maritime Vessels In Song Dynasty

The Song Periods are the golden time period for China to make efforts in the development of the maritime trade when it also adopted a general attitude of encouragement and promotion to the policy on overseas trade activities.A large number of Arab merchants and tributary envoy from South and Southeast Asian countries came to China for trade,then the southern ports presented a thriving scene of hundred and thousand large ships when came and went.The excavations of “Quanzhou Bay Shipwreck”,“Nanhai-1”,“Huaguang reef Shipwreck” provide strong physical evidence for the development of Chinese maritime trade beside written historical documents.Social and economic reforms,the prosperity of overseas trade,and the advancement of seacraft manufacturing have promoted the development of the maritime trade and shipping industry in the Song Dynasty.Of course,the establishment of Municipal Department and laws also keep trade in order.The purpose of this paper is to put maritime shipping in such a grand background,have a discussion on the bidirectional model of trade-communication,combine the achievements of a series of research on archaeology of underwater shipwrecks,and analyze the composition of shipwreck cargoes and hull construction technology.It is sincerely hoped that the paper will also investigate the exchange of shipbuilding technology between China,South,Southeast Asia and West Asia,and promote the exchange of material culture and the development of social life.