User:Macf95/sandbox

Article evaluation
This is an evaluation of article: Laguna Copperplate Inscription.
 * Some sentences have proper citations as the end of sentences, but others do not have any citations at all. Other cases have a citation at the end of a paragraph. I'm unsure whether this is because they share the same citation? There also are instances where a citation is inserted in the middle of a sentence or twice within a sentence.
 * The wording is a bit awkward, although not significantly so, in certain areas.
 * The article appears to be neutral, just providing descriptive information about the inscription and presenting the research done regarding its meaning and significance to regional history. It may be that the article is biased in assuming the geographical references are to Philippine locations.
 * It does acknowledge conflicting perspectives regarding references made within the text. The lines themselves could have been edited to be one sentence though. Furthermore, it could have gone into more depth regarding what exactly the detractors believe are wrong with the references.
 * It has acknowledged that there may be similar sounding locations in other regions, like Java.
 * The references made under the "Tundun" subheading of the "Geographical place-names identified in the text" heading might be wrong? The page number is not within the citation, but separate and listed after it.
 * Not sure whether the use of quotations was necessary in all instances it was utilized. It could have easily been mentioned without having to quote.
 * Some sentences have vague meanings.
 * Not all the resources are reliable/unbiased or accessible. Some lead to error pages while others lead to blogs.
 * This article in question is part of 3 WikiProjects: Writing systems, Archaeology, and Tambayan Philippines. It rates High for the WikiProject Tambayan Philippines and Low for WikiProject Writing systems. There is no rating for the WikiProject Archaeology.
 * The Talk page is relatively active. Some posts don't really add much to the conversation, but there are a handful of users who are actually interested in the reliability and quality of the page by suggest possible edits regarding citations.

Wiki Edu Week 4 Assignment Edits
This is regarding: Peter Bellwood

This article consists of a basic introduction to Peter Bellwood and lists his literature. I think more can be added that can be more specific about what work he has done and possibly going in depth on what some of his major works are about.

Bibliography

This is source material for what I could potentially add to this article.


 * Hung, H. (2017). Professor Peter Bellwood’s Ongoing Journey in Archaeology. In Piper P., Matsumura H., & Bulbeck D. (Eds.), New Perspectives in Southeast Asian and Pacific Prehistory (pp. 1-42). Acton ACT, Australia: ANU Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1pwtd26.8
 * Bellwood, P. (1985). On Melanesians and Polynesians. The Journal of Pacific History, 20(2), 104-104. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25168576

Wiki Edu Week 5 Assignment - Article Draft
This is regarding: Srivijaya (I'm in charge of researching the topic of trade.)

Srivijaya developed into an influential and international urban center thanks to its strategic location between two superpowers, China and the Middle East. The government served as a "middle-man" presiding over trade in Southeast Asia. Having numerous ports along both sides of the Strait of Malacca, it was difficult for foreign traders headed either way to not to dock their boats. The central government's greatest strength, and what allowed for Srivijaya to become a trading powerhouse in the region, was its ability to centralize the import and export of native and foreign goods by creating a system of "warehouses." It allowed for a variety goods to be conveniently accessible to traders. The main Srivijayan port was in the capital of Palembang while secondary ports were controlled locally by vassals. The vassals also controlled the export of goods from their particular region. They were restricted from interfering with international trade transactions and required to give the revenue from port fees back to the king. The profits were then put towards strengthening the Srivijayan military which in turn protected the ports and maintained their control of the local waters. Despite this, local administrators and foreign traders eventually began to interact directly to keep more revenue in their own pockets, speculated to have been a result of a weakened central government due to foreign attacks.

Multiple goods passed through Srivijaya. Besides having a monopoly on sandalwood trade in the region, other Srivijayan native goods include: tortoise-shell, camphor, gharu-wood, laka-wood, cloves, and cardamom. This list is under speculation because very few records exist regarding native Srivijayan products, most coming from Chinese or Middle Eastern traders. It is likely that products brought from abroad had accumulated in the empire and were being traded again thus creating the impression that they were native wares. This may have also led to confusion over the origin of native products which were presumed to come from abroad. It is likely that wares from China and the Middle East were dropped off at the ports to save time. It took about two years, with the assistance of monsoon trade winds, to travel the distance between the Middle East and China. Instead, merchants met somewhere in the middle, Srivijaya. It took about half a year to travel from either end to Srivijaya. There, they could interact with traders from all over the region and then sail back. Overall, it took about one year to conduct trade with Srivijaya and was a far more efficient use of time and resources. Evidence of such a trade relationship can be found in artifacts obtain from two shipwrecks. A wreck off the coast of the island of Belitung contained a load of Chinese ceramics aboard a boat originating from the Middle East. Another shipwreck near the coastal city of Cirebon, Java had a variety of foreign cargo onboard. The main mode of currency was silver coins. They were stamped on both sides. One side featuring a sandalwood flower, alluding to their monopoly on the product, and the other side had the Sanskrit term for "glory," reflecting the influence of Indianisation in the region. The main import from Chinese traders was ceramic wares. Artifacts can be found all over the coast of Sumatra and Java, but evidence is yet to be found anywhere else along the trade route between China and Srivijaya. This may indicate that the two regions had an exclusive ceramics trade relationship in the region. Dating of such artifacts has yet to confirm such a relationship. Artifacts found around the site of the Geding Suro temple complex have been revealed to be more recent than previously predicted. A statuette also found at the site matched up chronologically to Srivijaya, but researchers believe this is merely a coincidence. They conjecture it may have been brought to the region around the same time as the appearance of the associated ceramic artifacts. Records from Arabic merchants mention Srivijaya, but do not go into detail about other areas in Southeast Asia which as led scholars to assume that they did not interact with the greater Southeast Asian region beyond Srivijaya. This may indicate that Srivijaya facilitated trade between two regions thus further supporting their vital role as an administrator of trade.