AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF BOATS OF CENTRAL VIETNAM

Abstract

Despite a growing academic literature on maritime trade, shipping and navigation in the South China Sea, there is little information about how local societies negotiated their maritime environment, or how it influenced their daily life. This is most particularly the case for Vietnam, often considered through its history as an agrarian state. Nonetheless, with a coastline of over 3400 km located along a major shipping route between Malacca and China, Vietnam has a long lasting historical connection with its maritime environment and an exceptional boat diversity. Yet again, little is known about local boatbuilding traditions, boat use, seafaring skills and navigation, related maritime activities, about the organisation and role of the many harbours that dotted the coast of central Vietnam.

As a step in the development of maritime archaeology in Vietnam, a combined approach in the research of archives and ethnography can contribute to build up knowledge about maritime aspects of life in Vietnam, and can also provide context and understanding for potential maritime archaeological finds. At the same time it can push the boundaries of maritime archaeologists to incite research that goes beyond nautical technology.