An incredible 10th century shipwreck treasure

JAKARTA — China has shown strong interest in buying a massive haul of shipwreck treasures ... salvaged in 2004 off Cirebon, West Java.

"We held talks with the Chinese government and our plan is to keep these treasures in museums in China and Indonesia," Kabul told AFP. "I think it will the best solution so that this rich treasure will be preserved properly by museum experts," he said adding that both countries had not reached any agreement yet as details were still being discussed.

The collection comprises some 271,000 pieces including rubies, pearls, gold jewellery, Fatimid rock-crystal, Persian glassware and exquisite Chinese imperial porcelain dating back to the late 10th century.

Belgian treasure hunter Luc Heymans who conducted the salvage operation said it was one of the biggest shipwreck treasures ever found in Asian waters.

I find treasure troves to be endlessly fascinating.  A quick Google search for Cirebon + treasure yielded a lot of hits, including this New York Times story from 2006.