Maritime Archaeology, Underwater Exploration and Searching for The History of “Four Oceans” Navigation in Asia-Pacific Region

Chinese Maritime historian and archaeologists have recognized the uniqueness of marine preferences of southeast China as one of regional features in the diversity of prehistoric and early civilizations of China and eastern Asia. Professor Huixiang Lin of Xiamen University explored, a half century ago, how the “Maritime Region of Southeastern Asia” created by the indigenous Bai-Yue ethnicities differed from the inland farming cultures of northwestern China and inner Asia anchoring the central imperial civilization [18].