Dr Noel Hidalgo Tan is a Singaporean archaeologist. He runs the SEAArch | Southeast Asian Archaeology website, and is currently the Senior Specialist in Archaeology at the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts (SPAFA) based in Bangkok. His main research interest is in the rock art of Southeast Asia and is engaged in a variety of projects in the archaeology of Southeast Asia. He serves on the Archaeology Advisory Panel of Singapore and is a Expert Member of ICOMOS ICAHM (International Committee of Archaeological Heritage Management).
About Me
Hi! I’m Noel – an archaeologist from Singapore living and working in Bangkok. I’ve been involved with Southeast Asian archaeology for over a decade now, and have been interested in it for a lot longer. Growing up in Singapore, there was not much opportunity to learn about archaeology in a formal setting – there are no archaeology degrees offered in the country, and the closest was in high school history. So I began this website in 2006 to collect news about the archaeology of the region, mainly as a way for me to learn what was going on in the region, and since then the site has grown to become an educational resource for the public.
While in Singapore, I was lucky enough to participate in a few archaeological excavations, and went on to study archaeology at universities overseas. I went on to complete a Masters and PhD in archaeology in Malaysia and Australia, focusing on rock art which remains one of my main research interests. After finishing my PhD at the Australian National University in 2014, I moved to Bangkok to my current role as the Senior Specialist in Archaeology at the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts (SPAFA).
At SPAFA, I oversee the centre’s archaeology programmes which are focused on capacity-building for archaeologists in the region and to broadly promote the field of Southeast Asian archaeology and cultural heritage. I am also the Managing Editor for the centre’s academic journal. I also continue to research the rock art of Southeast Asia and maintain this website.
Below you can find more information about my research and projects, as well as links to my other professional pages. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.