SEAArch – The Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog

Malaysia’s Star has a travel piece on the ruins of Bagan in Myanmar – with a reference to a five star resort and viewing tower built right in the middle of the pagoda area – the horror!

photo credit: edbrambley

Pagodas in the dust
The Star, 06 February 2010
Read the rest of this entry »

The restoration of a 250-year-old building in the ancient city of Bagan is nearing completion, with the aid of public donations.

In Bagan, donors work to save a rare wooden gem
The Myanmar Times, 25 October 2009
Read the rest of this entry »

A Thai princess lends her royal support to the Viang Ta Kian site in Chiang Mai, an ancient town that was ruled by both the Burmese and the Lanna kingdoms. A museum is planned for the site to consolidate the artefacts found in the area.

Preserving the Priceless
18 October 2009
Read the rest of this entry »

Can anyone help with this question? In 1944, the Australian paper The Argus published a short note about the theft of a gold disc 25′ in diameter from a temple in Burma by the Japanese Occupation army (“Japanese Steal Huge Gold Disc From Temple in Burma”, The Argus, February 10, 1944, page 12). FOK (name withheld on request), a German journalist is looking for information about the name of the temple and the current whereabouts of the gold disc.

photo credit: col.hou

If you have any information about the matter, kindly contact FOK here.

Dr Moore’s presentation “Public Art and the Shwedagon in the 19-20th century” might be of interest to readers of this blog. The roundtable on Asian Art History is happening TOMORROW (29 September 2009) at the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore. Details and registration here.

Asian Art History Roundtable
Public Art and the Shwedagon in the 19-20th century (Dr Elizabeth Moore)
Date: Tuesday, 29 Sep 2009
Time: 4 – 5.30pm
Venue: ARI Seminar Room, Tower Block Level 10, National University of Singapore @ BTC
Read the rest of this entry »

Archaeological exploration in the past decade has revealed a new Bronze-iron Age culture in central Myanmar. As most finds are located along the Samon River valley, they have become known as the Samon culture. Principally mortuary goods, many of the artifacts are unique and not found outside Myanmar. Other objects, however, parallel bronzes of the elaborate Shizhaishan Dian cultures of Yunnan. These include Heger I cowrie-drum containers and decorated mouth organs. Potential links are also seen in recent Shizhaishan excavation of headless burials and Samon headless bronze ‘mother-goddess’ figures used to decorate coffins as well as disarticulated inhumations found in both Samon and Dian cultures. There are few radiocarbon results for the Samon culture (circa 600 BCE-400 CE) but most predate the early centuries CE. This lecture will examine the origins of bronze production in the Myanmar-Yunnan cultural sphere.

More details and registration here.

While we’re on the topic of Bagan, it seems that the Myanmar Hoteliers’ Association will start a night market selling local handicrafts and goods in the upcoming tourist season starting on October. I wonder how this will this will make the ruins of the ancient city more alive at night and if the increased activity might pose a threat to the ruins.

photo credit: antwerpenR

Myanmar To Use Night Bazaar In Ancient City To Attract Tourists
Bernama, 27 August 2009
Read the rest of this entry »