The archaeology of trading sites in the Indonesian Archipelago in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries : possibilities and limitations of the evidence

Abstract

Trade networks in the Indonesian Archipelago changed drastically during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. After the Portuguese conquered Melaka in 1511, Aceh, Banten, Gresik and Macassar (Makasar/Ujung Pandang) became more important not only in economic but also in politcal terms. Trading sites in Maluku and on the west coast of Sumatra, the sources of spices, attracted more Asian and European traders. In the early seventeenth century, further changes developed because of intense competition between English and Dutch traders, especially in important trading places such as the west coast of Sumatra, Banten and Maluku. Durin those two centuries, three types of trading places can be identified in the Indonesian Archipelago: Direct Trading sites, Complex Entrepots and Fort Regulated sites. The popularity of different sites rose and fell in relation to high competition in the spice trade and as local representatives (Panglima) became more independent.