← Explore on the interactive map
Javanese Outrigger Vessel
The Javanese outrigger vessel (prahau) added balancing floats (outrigger arms) to each side of the main hull, suited to the shallow seas and monsoon …
Timeline
- c. 500–800Java · JavaFishermen and merchants of Java and neighboring islands developed outrigger structures, improving stability and coping with coral reefs and monsoon seas, laying the foundation for later ocean trade.
- c. 1051–1060Northern Javanese ports · JavaIn this period Javanese outrigger vessels were active on Malacca Strait and Java Sea routes, carrying spices, metals and Buddhist scriptures, linking Srivijaya, Angkor and South China ports.
- c. 1200–1500Java · JavaLater kingdoms such as Majapahit continued to rely on outrigger fleets to maintain archipelago control and foreign trade, with the ship type further improved in cargo capacity and rigging.
Sources
- The Age of Trade: The Malay World and Islam — Anthony Reid (1996)
- Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History — Peter Bellwood and Ian Glover (2004)