Zheng He and his voyages

A word to the relation of ceramics and Zheng He.
Zheng He is the Chinese seafarer who between 1405 and 1433 travelled seven times with his great fleet to South Asia and the Middle East, and down the

the East African coast, reaching possibly southern Africa. Undoubtedly he is well known through a series of documentaries and TV programs.

However, up to date there is still controversy existing on several issues. The best known controversy probably is the reported size of certain of the ships, which some western shipbuilding specialists find difficult to accept. Another one concerns the extent of his voyages. Some voices mention the possibility that he reached the Atlantic Ocean.

Trade ceramics and the voyages
What is more interesting here is the ceramics finds made in various locations on the east coast and near coastal areas of the African continent.

Many of these are attributed to Zheng's voyages.However, among these there are increasingly finds that seem to indicate the existence of a pre-Ming maritime trade down the whole eastern coast of the African continent. Maritime archaeology and excavations on land, as well as shards of Chnese ceramics washing up along the African coast are attributed to Chinese dynasties prior to the Ming, that is the Song and Yuan dynasties.

What does this mean? Zheng's famous voyages happened between 1405 and 1433, during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), which followed the Yuan and earlier Song dynasty (960-1279). It is highly unlikely that these shards are related in any way to his voyages or ships. Therefore, the conclusion must be that a much earlier maritime trade was already capable reaching these coasts.

Proof of earlier trade is still scarce and not sufficient yet to explain for certain the existence of a much more ancient trade. Only future discoveries and research will resolve these questions.


National Geographic report about Zheng and his fleet

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