SEAArch - The Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog

The Brunei Museums Department conduct a roadshow to explain the different laws that relate to archaeology under its purview.

Getting the facts straight on Antiques, Treasures Trove Act
Borneo Bulletin, 4 July 2008
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The third largest island in the world is known for its great biodiversity, but did you know that Borneo was also a major maritime node in Southeast Asian trade? Now, the island is split up among Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia and so uncovering the history of the island is less easy. In Brunei, a history seminar wrapping up today would have seen the presentation of some 27 papers discussing the history of Brunei and Borneo.

Borneo History Seminar opens at ICC
Borneo Bulletin, 04 December 2007

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22 July 2007 (Brunei Times) - With gunpowder invented in nearby China, and cannons brought with the colonizing powers from Europe, it’s no surprise that cannons appear in the archaeological record in this part of the world. This article talks about cannons in Brunei.

‘Bedil’ - the traditional Brunei cannons

… not everyone knows that cannons were already being manufactured in Brunei at least 500 or 600 years ago. Many cannon moulds have been found at archaeological sites throughout the country.

Historical records also indicate that cannons had been used in Brunei. The historical records of Antonio Pigafetta when he was in Brunei as Magellan’s chronicler in 1521 stated that “in front of the Sultan’s palace, there was a thick wall of bricks, with towers in the manner of a fortress on which mounted fifty-six brass and six iron cannons”.

!The Bruneian cannons, known in the Brunei vernacular as bedil, are used not just on land but also on board Brunei ships. A record of the Spanish attacks on Brunei stated that the Brunei ships used cannons.

!The origin of the cannons is unknown, they were most probably of Chinese and European origins. The first cannon in Europe probably appeared during the Islamic era in Spain. Brunei cannons probably are more influenced by our relationship with the Chinese Empire.

!In Brunei, the art of casting metals had been in existence for many centuries. As far back as 1225, a visiting Chinese official, Chau Ju Kua, found that the Bruneians had been carrying swords and metal armour made of bronze when attending funerals. It was said that during the era of Sultan Bolkiah, the fifth Sultan, 40 Javanese metal craft experts had been brought back to teach Bruneians their craft .

Cannons played important roles in Brunei’s history. They were used as Brunei’s main defences and a good number were positioned at the mouth of the Brunei River and were placed there until the British came to Brunei in 1846.

Some famous cannons bore names, such as Si Tunggal and Si Dewa. These two were taken by the Suluks during the Brunei civil wars and were later taken to Manila. Another well-known cannon during Sultan Bolkiah’s reign was Si Gantar Alam which was used during the attacks on Luzon and Manila.

The Brunei cannons had their own attributes. In the manufacture of the cannons, the local craftsmen would pay attention to eight main parts of the cannons known locally as the batang (barrel), muncung (mouth), kancing lumba-lumba (trigger), pistaran (sightscope), sumbu dan gargasa (ignition), gamban (barrel end), gaganok (holder) and sangka (holder).

Each part would be intricately designed with Bruneian motifs, thus distinguishing Bruneian cannons from other cannons in the world.

Cannons are not just used for defensive purposes but play important role in the royal courts.

Cannon shots are fired on many important royal events, with different numbers for each event. The highest are obviously events connected to His Majesty the Sultan and Her Majesty Raja Isteri, with 21 shots.

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Read more about the cannons of Brunei.
(The articles in the Brunei Times are only up for 24 hours, so if it is no longer available, you can email me.)

20 June 2007 (The Brunei Times, Borneo Bulletin) - There’s a new maritime archaeology museum opening in Brunei in June next year. This museum will showcase Brunei’s ancient trade within the region as well as the shipwrecks found in Brunei’s waters.

Foundation-Laying Ceremony For Brunei’s First Martime Museum

Brunei Darussalam’s first Maritime Museum, which is under the country’s 8th National Development Plan, is expected to be completed by June next year.

…

The exhibition hall of the Maritime Archaeology Museum will display various artefacts depicting the link between mankind with the river and the sea since ancient times.

The project will also enable members of the public to understand the role of the country as a centre of maritime trade in ancient times and develop a sense of awareness and responsibility to appreciate the country’s cultural heritage while promoting it as a tourism destination, he said.

…

Read about the foundation-laying for Brunei’s Maritime Museum here and here.

Books about Underwater Archaeology:
- The Archaeology of Seafaring in Ancient South Asia by Himanshu Prabha Ray
- Shipwrecks and Sunken Treasure in Southeast Asia by T. Wells

03 June 2007 (Borneo Bulletin) - For interested readers in Brunei, Dr Pathamanathan Ragavan will be giving a talk about human evolution, particularly of the evolution of anatomically advanced humans on Wednesday, 6 June 2007.

Medical talk on Human Evolution at UBD

The Institute of Medicine of Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) will be holding a medical lecture entitled “Human Evolution Origin of Anatomically Advanced Humans: Who Is Related To Whom” on June 6 at 7.30pm.

The talk, which will be held at the Senate Room, 1st floor of Chancellor Hall, will be facilitated by Prof Pathamanathan Ragavan, a visiting scientist from the School of Archaeology & Anthropology, Australian National University.

This topic surveys the opinions expressed in the recent literature on the origins of anatomically modern homo sapiens, and reviews the evidence from skeletal - biological or cranial - and dental morphology argued by proponents of the opposing views.

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The lecture is CME and CNE accredited and registration is free.Members of the public and health professionals are welcome to attend the talk. For more information, contact Siti Rohaiza binti Ahmad at 2463001 (extension 1906/1960) or e-mail haiza@im.ubd.edu.bn.

Read the full notice about Dr Pathamanathan Ragavan’s talk on human evolution.

Related Books on the evolution of humankind:
- Bioarchaeology of Southeast Asia (Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology) by M. Oxenham
- Human Origins : The Fossil Record by C. S. Larsen
- Guide to Fossil Man by M. H. Day