Bone Bay

The Gulf of Bone lies between Sulawesi's southern and southeastern peninsulas, opening southward into the Banda Sea. The waters around Sulawesi supported exchange long before European voyages reached the region: the archipelago was linked to regional and international maritime networks by the first millennium BCE. From the late medieval period, Islamic states and their ports joined communities across the Java Sea, Makassar Strait, and eastern islands. The gulf belonged to a broader world of coastal settlement, fishing, navigation and commerce. European powers later competed for the spice trade, drawing Dutch power into the eastern archipelago. Monsoon winds and island coasts shaped the timing of voyages and places of shelter.