In the past, Indonesian ports took a significant role in the spice trade network of Nusantara. Ports also acted as the gate for traders from both various areas of Nusantara and across nations. The exchanges that occurred in these places were not only limited to the spices and other commodities but also cultures and religions. Hitu was one of them, an Ambon’s port where it once was used as a central point of spice trade that was busy, passed by both local and foreign traders, far before the arrival of Portuguese and other Western nations.

Maluku became one of the prominent areas in the spice trade, especially with the existence of several ports in the islands. We can see the historical traces in Maluku from its historical record in the 14th century, where Hitu Port was crowded, visited by the traders of Nusantara.

It happened, for Hitu Port once became an area of clove-trading traffic for the Bandanese that set sail to the North and vice versa. This situation showed that Hitu was involved in a port network for the traders to transit, that gave rise to the emergence of local traders from the Leihitu and Huamual peninsula on Seram Island, and even the traders across nations.

Are you curious about the Indonesian ports in the land of spice producers in the past? Let’s watch the full video above. Enjoy!