Ming dynasty porcelain found Date: 18-03-2005 Author: Tan Choe Choe

MALACCA, Thurs. - Porcelain shards, believed to be artifacts dating back to the Ming dynasty, have been discovered at the construction site of a multi-storey car park in the heart of the city here. An intact dark-green porcelain bowl, believed to be a priceless piece of Indochinese sawan-khalok porcelain of the 16th century, was also found. Others were mainly broken pieces of bowls, plates, and other kitchenware. Malacca Museum Corporation (Perzim) officials have been visiting the site, situated next to Stadium Kubu in Jalan Hang Tuah, for the past two days. State Culture, Heritage and Tourism committee chairman Datuk Amid Nordin said no stop-work order had been issued to the project contractor, Arkib Engineering Sdn Bhd. "As long as they co-operate with Perzim officials when they come to identify and take samples of porcelain pieces for dating, we will let the work continue for now," he said. He said the contractor had also been directed to allow only their workers and Perzim officials to enter the site to keep it safe from pilferage. Perzim curator Mohd Nasruddin Abd Rahman said the 0.8hectare site, on reclaimed land, could have been a settlement during the Malacca Sultanate. "Not only because the pieces found are mostly household items, but also the Malacca River was much wider then and many ships could have docked here, creating natural settlements," he said. He also speculated that the site, being reclaimed land,

meant the pieces could also have been "imported" from elsewhere. "We will see how deeply the pieces are lodged and study the history of this site." (END) Source : New Straits Times