Death by a Thousand Cuts: an archaeological assessment of souveniring and salvage on the Australian cruiser HMAS Perth (I)

Abstract

In 2014, the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) received reports from recreational divers that the shipwreck site of HMAS Perth (I) was being systematically salvaged by commercial divers. After extensive discussions with Indonesian Government departments and agencies the ANMM led the first Australian/Indonesian remote sensing survey of Perth in December 2016. This was followed by an in‐water survey in May 2017. These investigations revealed Perth has been devastated by systematic, large‐scale unauthorized salvage. Following the survey, ANMM and its Indonesian research partner Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional (ARKENAS), working in conjunction with the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, successfully lobbied the Indonesian Government to have the site declared Indonesia's first Marine Protected Area.

Abstracto

Muerte por miles de cortaduras: una evaluación arqueológica de la recuperación de souvenires y el rescate a corto y largo plazo en el crucero australiano HMAS Perth (I)

En 2014, el Museo Nacional Marítimo Australiano (Australian National Maritime Museum ‐ ANMM) recibió reportes de buzos recreativos de que el sitio del naufragio del HMAS Perth estaba siendo sistemáticamente saqueado por buceadores comerciales. Tras profundas discusiones con el gobierno de Indonesia, departamentos y agencias; el ANMM orientó la primera prospección australiana e indonesia con sensores remotos en el pecio del Perth en diciembre de 2016. Esta fue sucedida por una prospección con buzos en mayo del año 2017. Esta investigación reveló que el pecio del Perth ha sido devastado por el saqueo sistemático no autorizado a gran escala. Tras la prospección, el ANMM y la institución indonesia de investigación asociada Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional (ARKENAS), trabajando en conjunto con la Marina Real Australiana (Royal Australian Navy) y el Departamento Australiano de Asuntos Exteriores y Comercio (Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), lograron persuadir al gobierno de Indonesia para que declarara el sitio como la primera Área Marina Protegida de Indonesia.

Palabras clave: arqueología marítima, saqueo comercial, HMAS Perth (I), Segunda Guerra Mundial, Indonesia, Australia.

摘要

千刀万剐: 对澳大利亚巡洋舰皇家海军珀斯号的长期与短期纪念物搜罗和打捞的考古评估

2014年, 澳大利亚国家海事博物馆 (ANMM) 收到来自-闲潜水员的报告, 称澳大利亚皇家海军珀斯号HMAS Perth (I) 的沉船遗址正在被商业潜水员有系统地打捞。在与印度尼西亚政府的部门与机构进行了广泛的讨论后, ANMM-2016年12月主导了首次澳大利亚/印度尼西亚对珀斯号的遥感调查, 随后在2017年5月又进行了一次水下调查。这-调查显示珀斯号受到了系统地、大规模地未经授权的打捞。在最后一次调查之后, ANMM与印度尼西亚的研究搭档印尼国家考古研究中心 (ARKENAS) 、澳大利亚皇家海军和澳大利亚外交与贸易部合作, 成功游说印度尼西亚政府将该遗址作为-个印度尼西亚海洋保护区。

关键词: 海洋考古学, 商业打捞, 澳大利亚皇家海军珀斯号HMAS Perth (I) , 第二次世界大战, 印度尼西亚, 澳大利亚

千刀萬剮: 對澳大利亞巡洋艦皇家海軍珀斯號的長期與短期紀念物搜羅和打撈的考古評估

2014年, 澳大利亞國家海事博物館 (ANMM) 收到來自-閑潛水員的報告, 稱澳大利亞皇家海軍珀斯號HMAS Perth (I) 的沈船遺址正在被商業潛水員有系統地打撈。在與印度尼西亞政府的部-與機構進行了廣泛的討論後, ANMM-2016年12月主導了首次澳大利亞/印度尼西亞對珀斯號的遙感調查, 隨後在2017年5月又進行了一次水下調查。這-調查顯示珀斯號受到了系統地、大規模地未經授權的打撈。在最後一次調查之後, ANMM與印度尼西亞的研究搭檔印尼國家考古研究中心 (ARKENAS) 、澳大利亞皇家海軍和澳大利亞外交-貿易部合作, 成功遊說印度尼西亞政府將該遺址作爲首個印度尼西亞海洋保護區。

關-詞: 海洋考古學, 商業打撈, 澳大利亞皇家海軍珀斯號HMAS Perth (I) , 第二次世界大戰, 印度尼西亞, 澳大利亞

ملخص

Key words:

• Maritime archaeology
• commercial salvage
• HMAS Perth (I)
• Second World War
• Indonesia
• Australia

Acknowledgements

The effort to document and preserve HMAS Perth (I) would not have been possible without the contributions and support of Captains Katja Bizilj and Nick Hart, RAN (former Naval Attachés, Australian Embassy, Jakarta), Dr Andrew Fock, Dr I. Made Geria (Director, ARKENAS), His Excellency Dr H. Wahidin Halim (Banten Provincial Governor), Professor Ronny Rachman Noor (former Education and Cultural Attaché, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Canberra), Her Excellency Ibu Susi Pudjiastuti (Indonesian Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries), and Kevin Sumption (Director, ANMM). Special thanks are also due to the other members of the 2017 survey team: Yusuf Arief Afandy (Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan) and Turmudi M. Hum (Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya, Serang).

Notes

1. The shipwreck sites of HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales were designated as Protected Places in 2002 under the United Kingdom's Protection of Military Remains Act (1986). Unfortunately, the designation does not appear to have deterred illegal salvage operations, as The Telegraph (26 October 2014) reported in October 2014 that both sites had been extensively damaged.