Monday, 22nd May 2006 (2926 views)

Ancient treasures from the Islamic world have been sequestered in a police store room in Indonesia after being retrieved from the sea.

The Telegraph reports up to a quarter of a million pieces of pottery, jewellery anf glassware were recovered from the depths of the Java Sea, including gold trinkets, rubies and sapphires.

However, the 1,000-year-old find has already attracted controversy after German and French divers behind the find were imprisoned.

Frenchman Jean-Paul Blancan, 53, and German Fred Dobberphul, 43, have since been released after diplomatic efforts, but the dive is attracting attention for its haul.

The difficulties began when a fellow recovery firm complained that the divers did not have the full licence to explore the wreck in question, although the team had already agreed to halve the profits of any discovery with the authorities.

It is thought the boat upon which the treasures were found represents among the earliest proof of Muslims in Indonesia.

 

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