Kota Cina Sites as World Trade Centers

Novita Angelina Br Panjaitan

Kartika Srikandi Ginting, S.Pd
Global Prima National Plus School
Jl. Brigjend Katamso No.282-283, Sei Mati, Kec. Medan Maimun, Medan City, North Sumatra 20159
[email protected]/[email protected]

NATIONAL LPB 2023

1. Introduction Chinese relics at the site of Kota Cina are as

Kota Cina is an ancient port site that is very follows: porcelain (Song Dynasty), Mercury Tubes
important in the framework of international trade in the (Yuan Dynasty), Gold Pile (Yuan Dynasty), Pottery
XI-XIV centuries AD. The collections contained in the (Muang Thai, Thailand), Gems (Sri Lanka), Rings
site of Kota Cina are objects from the XI-XIV centuries (India), beads (South India). The thing that can prove
AD in the form of artifacts that did not come from that the Song Dynasty once anchored and traded in
sunken ships carrying treasure, but the results of Kota Cina is porcelain. The Song Dynasty was the
excavations in several areas of the Kota Cina site (XI- largest porcelain producer of its time, this was because
XIV centuries). The Kota Cina grew as an international the Song Dynasty had an official porcelain kiln. This is
dock town. The discovery of gold-making, gold, also what brought the Song Dynasty to its glory.
pottery, stone beads, ceramics, coins, iron, metal, Mercury tubes found in excavations at the Kota Cina
molten gold smelting containers, tin, and worship tools Site functioned as mercury containers that were useful
such as frankincense, resin, and sculptures from South in activities related to mining and production of gold
Indian Tamil Nadu reinforces this evidence. The relics objects. It is thought to date back to the Yuan Dynasty
at the Kota Cina site prove the occurrence of (13th-14th centuries AD). In addition to the Mercury
international trade in Kota Cina, but what commodities Tube, the Yuan Dynasty also carried a gold pat that
are imported and exported from each region found served as a metal smelting container with a low melting
relics at the Kota Cina Site have not been identified. point like gold. Southeast Asian countries such as
The author wants to classify what goods are traded in Thailand also export produce from their country such
the port city of Kota Cina, as well as the diversity of as pottery. In addition to functional items, items
artifacts that can prove that Kota Cina was once the containing aesthetic value such as rings, gems, and
center of world trade. beads are also traded in Kota Cina. These rings and
beads are ordered using the Arikamedu technique,
2. Research Methodology which is a typical Indian technique. It can be concluded
Field Research using primary data is data from that these rings and beads originated in India.
the field. So that the data obtained is really by reality Commodities exported from North Sumatra to
regarding the phenomena that exist in the research other regions are as follows: Frankincense (Tapanuli),
location. Therefore, here researchers use the type of Nutmeg, Sandalwood and Damar (Barus), and Gold
Field Research research, to be able to search for data in (Bahorok). The thing that can prove the people of North
the field in detail and detail by observing from the Sumatra exporting the above commodities is the
smallest phenomenon that is a reference point of the discovery of the Pangulubalang statue this statue is an
problem, to observing the largest phenomenon and Ancient Batak patterned statue. The inhabitants of
trying to find solutions to problems. The approach used Batak land came to the coast to bring forest products
in this study is a qualitative approach with a descriptive such as resin, frankincense, nutmeg, and sandalwood to
method. This method attempts to examine a human be traded with foreign traders in the city of Kota Cina.
group or object, a system of thought, or an event in the In addition to export and import goods traded in North
past. According to Whitney quoted by Moh. Nazir Sumatra, some artifacts support evidence of the arrival
argues that the descriptive method is the achievement of traders from India, China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and
of facts with proper interpretation. This method studies Persia, such as statues of Lord Ganesha (India), Lord
the problems in society and the procedures that apply Vishnu (India), and Tombstones (Persia). The
to it. The situation of a particular situation includes the discovery of coins on the Kota Cina site also proves the
relationship of activities, attitudes, and views as well as existence of transaction activities in the 11th to 14th
the processes that take place and the influence of a centuries AD. Based on the research results and data
phenomenon. analysis, the author can draw the following
conclusions: The results of observations show that the
3. Result and Analysis Kota Cina Site was once a port for countries such as
China, India, Persia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka for trade
and China City itself was a World Trade Center and
industrial city. The site of Kota Cina was once a port
city, but the progress of trade in Kota Cina suddenly
stopped after the city was hit by a natural disaster which
caused the port city to be buried in the mainland.

Table 1. Caption.
Time(s)
Number Countr
Types of Centur
y of
Findings y
Origin
Song
1 Dynasty Chinese XII
porcelain
Mercury
2 Chinese XII
Tube
3 Beads India XII
Sri
4 Jewel XIII
Lanka
Thailan
5 Pottery XII
d

4. Conclusions and Future Works

Based on the results of research and data
analysis, the author can draw the following
conclusions: The results of observations show that the
Kota Cina Site was once a port for countries such as
China, India, Persia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka for trade
and China City itself is a World Trade Center and
industrial city.

References
[1] http://www.conference.unja.ac.id/
[2] https://jurnal.uisu.ac.id/index.php