"Gang(綱)" of letters on ceramics written in ink found in maritime archaeological excavations

"Gang(綱)" of letters on ceramics written in ink found in maritime archaeological excavations

Ceramics are one of the major artefact types that are found in maritime archaeological excavations. Some of these ceramics have letters written in ink on them. Tthese letters are categorized as “Gang (綱)”. “Gang” is an important historical material to "Gangshou (綱首)", which is the name of a group of leading trade merchants operating during the Song dynasty in the literature records. Gang written on ceramics have several types, such as “gang”, “family name + gang”, “gangsi (綱司)”, and “family name + gangsi”. These “Gang” ceramics have been found in ruins on Hakata (博多) and in northern Kyushu in Japan, Mado (馬島) underwater ruins in Korea, and Penghu Island (澎湖島) ruins in Taiwan. It was also collected from under the sea near Hong Kong. In mainland China, these are also excavated from the Nanhai I Shipwreck (南海), Shipwreck of Quanzhou(泉州) Bay, Strata of Song Dynasty in the Nanyue (南越) Palace ruin, and in Guangzhou(広州). This study examines merchant excavation locations of "Gang" identified ceramics within the maritime archeological context.

Hisako Ishiguro

The Museum of Underwater Archaeology

November 2021

English

Ishiguro, Hisako. 2021. “"Gang(綱)" of letters on ceramics written in ink found in maritime archaeological
excavations.” Edited by Brian Fahy, Hans Van Tilburg, Bill Jeffery, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Riley Smith. In Proceedings of
Fourth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Keelung,Taiwan, and Virtual, November
1-5, 2021. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology URL: https://apconf-much.org/proceedings/exhibits/show/apconf-muchproceedings/item/681

Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage