SEAArch - The Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog

An informal presentation by the authors of the new book, Ta Prohm: A Glorious Era in Angkor Civilisation will be held at Ecole Française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO) Siem Reap on Monday, 25th June.

Ta Prohm: A Glorious Era in Angkor Civilisation
by H. Exc. Shri P K Kapur, Deputy Director General, Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA)
and Prof. Sachchidanand Sahai, Fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Simla.

« Ta Prohm: A Glorious Era in Angkor Civilisation » ” (White Lotus, Bangkok) offers a new look at the biography of Jayavarman VII, focusing on the ideology of abnegation followed by this Angkorian monarch. With his well-developed policy of welfare, the king surpassed the contemporary European kings. The monograph shows how Ta Prohm was intricately connected with the royal welfare programs, since its foundation stele describes in details the assistance given to the hospitals from the royal treasury.

The monograph presents the temple of Ta Prohm in the context of Cambodian history, as the first dated temple of the reign of Jayavarman VII (1186), symbolizing the perfect wisdom in Khmer civilization with the mother of the king represented as Prajnaparamita, the mother of the Buddha.

The monastic and spiritual life at the temple has been graphically reconstructed through a closer study of the inscriptions of Ta Prohm. Impressive annual and daily grants offered by the royal treasury to sustain the spiritual life of the kingdom have been meticulously detailed.

A systematic study of restoration policy has been made in the context of over a hundred years of practical experience at the sites of Angkor. It has been argued that Ta Prohm can be a useful test case for the refinement of ideology and techniques of restoration based on the criteria of authenticity. This first monograph-length study of the most enigmatic temple of Angkor complex offers an indispensable reading, both for the visitors, and specialists, interested in unlocking the puzzles of Angkor art.

Shri Pradeep Kumar Kapur, a career diplomat of the Indian Foreign Service, is well-known for his deep interest in the theory and practice of political, economic and cultural diplomacy. He has worked in diverse areas in the Ministry of External Affairs and in the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. He has also made significant contributions in expanding the scope and content of India’s external relations during his postings in the Indian Embassies/High Commissions in Spain, Tanzania, France, Nepal and Cambodia. During his tenure as Ambassador of India to Cambodia, Kapur took up the famous, but extremely difficult site for restoration of the Ta Prohm temple monument in Angkor, as a test case of cultural diplomacy between India and Cambodia.

Sachchidanand Sahai is an alumnus of Banaras Hindu University where he studied Indian and Southeast Asian Art and Archaeology. Specializing in the Khmer studies at the University of Paris, Sorbonne (1965-69) under the supervision of eminent French savant George Coedes, Sahai produced a pioneering doctorial thesis, published by the EFEO in 1971. Since, he authored many publications. The founder editor of the Southeast Asian Review, he has edited and published thirty volumes of this journal since 1976. In 1981, he founded the International Conference on Thai Studies. Sahai held a chair of Southeast Asian Studies at the Magadh University, Bodh Gaya (India) and worked as the pro-Vice Chancellor of the university in 2001. As Research Professor at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi (1988-90) he set up the Southeast Asia division of the centre. Recipient of French government scholarship, Fulbright post-doctoral Fellowship, Visiting Fellowship at Australian National University and Maison de Science de l’ Homme (Paris), Sahai is currently Fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Simla.

Monday 25th of June 2007, at 6:30 pm at the EFEO.
P.O. Box 93 300, Siem Reap - Angkor
Phum Beng Don Pa, Khum Slâ Kram, Siem Reap, Cambodge
Email: efeo.angkor@online.com.kh / efeo.angkor.bib@online.com.kh

07 July 2007 (American Scientist) - Another book review of “A New Human: The Startling Discovery and Strange Story of the “Hobbits” of Flores, Indonesia” by Mike Morwood and Penny van Oosterzee. This review is longer than the previous one feature here, although I don’t think I’m planning to read the book anytime soon.

Choosing One’s Relatives

The discovery of a new hominin species in human ancestry is always exciting, never more so than when it is completely unexpected. And certainly no one anticipated that the fossil remains of such a species would be found in 2003 in Liang Bua, a limestone cave on the Indonesian island of Flores. But that year a team of archaeologists, anthropologists and geologists from Australia and Indonesia working at Liang Bua uncovered the bonesof a tiny woman, whom they eventually concluded was a hominin of a new species, Homo floresiensis. That bold claim has ignited considerable controversy among paleo-anthropologists.

Now one of the members of the team that found the specimen, Mike Morwood, has written a book titled A New Human, with science writer Penny van Oosterzee as coauthor. Their fascinating account of how the large-scale, multidisciplinary excavation was set up and run shows just how such an investigation should be conducted. They cover everything: the preliminary groundwork to find out who has to be approached to get permissions, with all the politics and administrative matters that are an unavoidable adjunct to such forms of scientific inquiry; the actual business of excavation and the dating of the deposit; and finally, the process of publishing a description of the fossils and their context. Anyone thinking of undertaking such a project would do well to consult this book.

…

Read the full review of “A New Human: The Startling Discovery and Strange Story of the “Hobbits” of Flores, Indonesia” from American Scientist.

More books about Homo floresiensis, aka The Hobbit:
- A New Human: The Startling Discovery and Strange Story of the “Hobbits” of Flores, Indonesia by M. Morwood and P. van Oosterzee
- Little People And a Lost World: An Anthropological Mystery by L. Goldenberg

23 May 2007 (stuff.co.nz) - A book review on the latest book about the Flores Hominid, also nicknamed the Hobbit, written by Mike Morwood, one of the archaeologists who discovered the remarkable find in 2003.

The Discovery of the Hobbit - Mike Morwood and Penny Van Oosterzee

Long after homo sapiens invented art, porn and sailing, another kind of human scampered about in Indonesian forests.

We know this because a team led by one of the writers of this fascinating book, Australian archaeologist Mike Morwood, discovered the creature’s skeleton in 2003, in a cave on the remote island of Flores.

Since then, bones belonging to at least eight more individuals have been found, ranging in age from 95,000 to 12,000 years old. Our own species has been alive for at least 100,000 years, in case you were wondering.

…

This theory has not gone away, despite Morwood’s team finding more tiny individuals separated widely in time. He is not the only one to point out that it seems unlikely a race of imbeciles could survive so long on an island swarming with meat-eating lizards three times bigger than they were, although he needs to find another skull to prove his point.

A few of the proponents of the microcephalic theory have axes to grind and Jacob is accused, sensationally, of grabbing then damaging the hobbits’ bones. The fog of war has been compounded by Indonesian v Australian politico- cultural complexities and newspapers that have given equal time to every theory, whether it met the test of peer review or not.

This book is timely. It clarifies events which have been glossed over in other media, including damage done to the only extant hobbit skull, a jawbone and a pelvis. Although neither Morwood nor fellow writer Penny Van Oosterzee could be confused with Tolstoy, the book is intelligent, pacey and evocative.

Read the full review of The Discovery of the Hobbit here.

Some other books about the Flores hominid you might be interested in:
- A New Human: The Startling Discovery and Strange Story of the “Hobbits” of Flores, Indonesia by M. Morwood and P. van Oosterzee
- Little People And a Lost World: An Anthropological Mystery by L. Goldenberg

Here are the May 2007 additions to the catalogue of Select Books, a specialised publisher and retailer of books pertaining to Southeast Asia. For ordering info, please visit the Select Books website. You may also want to visit the SEAArch bookstore for other books on southeast asian archaeology.

041416
Historical Dictionary Of Ancient Southeast Asia (Historical Dictionaries Of Ancient Civilizations And Historical Eras, No. 18). Miksic, John N.. Us. 2007. 497pp. hc $229.45 (Anyone who has seen the stunning ruins at Angkor, Bagan, and Borobudur will readily understand why Southeast Asia is the host of so many United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization World Heritage Sites. As beautiful as the spiralling towers, intricate carvings, and delicate bas-reliefs adorning these monuments are, however, they just barely scratch the surface of the immense historical and cultural heritage of the region. Covering the countries of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam during the period from the first to the 15th century, the Historical Dictionary of Ancient Southeast Asia helps us comprehend the vast and complex history of the region through a chronology, a glossary, a bibliography, an introduction, appendixes, maps, photographs, diagrams, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on the major (and many minor) sites, the more significant historical figures, the kingdoms they ruled over, the economic and social relations between them, and the artistic, cultural, and religious context.)

039600
Legacy Of The Barang People, The: An Exploration Into The Puzzling Similarities Of The Hungarian And Malay Languages. Busztin, György. Sg. 2006. 118pp. pb $28.75 (This groundbreaking and tentative piece of research and speculation deals with the many apparent linkages between Malay and the Hungarian/Magyar languages which were spoken some 3000 years ago in Central Asia. Some established theories of language development are overviewed. What is known of the early history and prehistory of population movements in Eurasia is summarised. With bibliography and charts.)

040024
Sakyans Of South-East Asia, The: An Introspection Or Tracing Roots. Talukdar, S. P..In. 2006. 256pp. hc $31.00 (The Buddha, Prince Siddharta, was born a Sakya in the 5th century BCE. This genealogical line has continued into numerous ethnic groups in Southeast Asia. In this highly individual study, ideas, myths and facts related to the origins and history of the Sakyan people are set out and discussed.)

041162
Bayon Of Angkor Thom, The (Special Order Item). Sahai, Sachchidanand. Th. 2007. 146pp. pb $60.00 (This is an in-depth analysis of the Bayon of Angkor Thom, a monument which may hold the key to the understanding of the Khmer civilisation. The Bayon’s role as the geometric centre of the city of Angkor Thom and as a veritable microcosm of the Khmer world is explained in this monograph, which is based on notes that the author had been collecting from Sanskrit and Khmer epigraphic sources and French scholarly writings for over 40 years. He unveils the Bayon’s layout and architectural features, examines the reconstitution of its central image from innumerable fragments, and the enigma of its colossal face-towers. He also follows various theories about the monument and questions certain scientific descriptions. With plans, references, index and numerous black-and-white and colour photographs.)

037576
Diamond Book Of Hindu Gods And Goddesses, The: Their Hierarchy And Other Holy Things. Mathur, Suresh Narain; B. K. Chaturvedi. In. 2005. 77pp. hc $31.00 (Hindu mythology is a rich store of stories about supernatural personalities and events, written and re-written by scholars over thousands of years. It can prove incoherent and confusing to the general reader. This illustrated treatise attempts to put much of the popular available information in a nutshell and in accessible language. This book also pays attention to other aspects of Hinduism such as Hindu beliefs, sanskars, idolized saints, the cosmic cycle, mythological events, the Hindu calendar and more.)

041139
Austronesian Diaspora And The Ethnogeneses Of People In The Indonesian Archipelago Proceedings Of The International Symposium. Simanjuntak, Truman; I. H.E. Pojoh et al (eds.). Id. 2006. 438pp. pb $47.00 (The dispersal of the Austronesian diaspora was wide, stretching from Madagascar to Easter Island, and from Taiwan and Micronesia to New Zealand, including Indonesia. Austronesia is the root of the recent culture, history, and ethnogeneses of the Indonesian peoples. For this reason, the first international symposium on this subject was held in Solo from 28 June to 1 July 2005. The proceedings are presented in this book, which contains four main sections: an introduction; the environmental background; the Austronesian origin, dispersal and ethnogeneses; and the Austronesian language today. The 28 papers and abstracts submitted by Indonesian and foreign specialists discuss new findings and insights about Austronesian studies from the perspectives of paleoclimatology, paleogeography, paleoanthropology, anthropology, genetics, archaeology, and linguistics. While a large majority of the contributions address the question of the Austronesian in Indonesia, five of them discuss the Austronesian on the islands of Southeast Asia, in Borneo, in Singapore, in Malaysia and in the Philippines. With references and illustrations.)

041323
Tanah Tujuh: Close Encounters With The Temuan Mythos. Antares. My. 2007. 208pp. pb $24.15 (The traditional ways of life of Malaysia’s Orang Asli (aborigine) people are fast disappearing. This is a retelling of some of the tales and myths of the Temuan Orang Asli people of Ulu Selangor, one of the 18 surviving tribal groups of Peninsular Malaysia. The author’s ongoing friendship with the tribe enables him to share the fears and upheavals by which modern economic policies is destroying the Temuan’s future and way of life. With graphics, black-and-white photographs, Temuan glossary, bibliography and index.)

040297
Dictionary Of South & Southeast Asian Art. Chaturachinda, Gwyneth; S. Krishnamurty et al. In. 2006. 240pp. pb $18.00 (2006 second edition of the 2004 dictionary of more than 1300 terms used in the art and architecture of South and Southeast Asia, and in the region’s history, religion and mythology. With line illustrations, chronology of the region, reading list and addresses of major museums.)

041201
Icons Of Art: The Collection Of The National Museum Of Indonesia. Miksic, John; Joop Avé (eds.). Id. 2007. 308pp. hc $78.75 (The origins of the National Museum of Indonesia can be traced back to 1778 and many of the thousands of artefacts in its collections have never been exhibited. Finely illustrated specialist articles indicate the magnificence of the collections. They describe: the evolution of the National Museum; the collections of three centuries; statuary and inscriptions; heirlooms; cloths; porcelain and terra cotta; theatre and masks; glorious metals; and future trends and possibilities. The volume will prove a treasure house for anyone interested in the art or history of Southeast Asia. With bibliography and the Museum’s timeline.)

040487
Secrets Of Southeast Asian Textiles, The: Myths, Status And The Supernatural. Puranananda, Jane (ed.). Th. 2007. 215pp. pb $94.50 (Throughout Asia, textiles have played an important role in concepts of power and kingship and are also closely associated with shamanistic, Buddhist and Islamic beliefs. The 15 papers presented in this work represent the scholarship and research of leading scholars from around the world who participated in The James H. W. Thompson Foundation symposium, Status, Myth and the Supernatural - Unraveling the Secrets of Southeast Asian Textiles, which was held in Bangkok, August 2005. The papers are fully supported by colour illustrations and they discuss: the comparisons between Bhutanese and Southeast Asian textiles; Cambodian textile hangings; Indian figurative textiles in Indonesia; barkcloth skirts in Borneo; talismanic textiles in Islamic Southeast Asia; shamanistic practices among the Shan; the textiles of the Chin, the Naga and the Mon of Burma; Lao women’s dress; monks’ robes in Thailand; the use of the pha sin to wrap Siamese holy manuscripts; royal brocades in the Siamese Court; textile motifs as indicators of status and religion among the Tai of Vietnam.)

Here are the new additions to the catalogue of Select Books, a specialised publisher and retailer of books pertaining to Southeast Asia. For ordering info, please visit the Select Books website.

039778
Different Paths Of Buddhism, The: A Narrative-Historical Introduction (Reprinted 2006). Olson, Carl. Us. 2005. 291pp. pb $49.00 (Planned primarily for undergraduate study, this is a rich journey through the main forms of Buddhism. Part one looks at the context of the founder and his message, the life of the Buddha Siddhartha (c. 463-386 BCE) and the early spread of Buddhism outside India. Part two is on the teachings and practices of various forms of Theravada Buddhism now widely followed, particularly at village level in Thailand, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Part three explores many forms of Mahayana Buddhism including: the gradual identification of a pantheon of celestial figures or bodhisattvas; early Tibetan shamanistic Buddhism; Tibetan Buddhism’s later tantric forms; Zen; Theosophy and 19th-20th century developments in the West; and the 20th and 21st-century acceptance of Buddhism by Dalits. With references, chronology and index.)

028710
Encyclopedia Of Malaysia Vol.12, The: Peoples And Traditions. Hood Salleh (ed.). Sg. 2006. 148pp. hc $52.50 (Volume 12 of the projected 16-volume Encyclopaedia of Malaysia is devoted to the peoples and traditions of the country, which is of course home to scores of distinct ethnic groups. A team of scholars describe the traditions of the most significant ethnic groups in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah. There is also a section on demographic history and official policies, and one on cross-cultural and global influences. As one has come to expect of this series, the text is complemented by high quality maps and graphics, inset archival photographs and commentaries, tabulated data and unexpected windows onto the country’s ethnic diversity. With glossary and index.)

040524
Sarawak Museum, The: A Living Centre In A Far Country (Le musée du Sarawak : un centre actif dans un pays lointain). Harrisson, Tom. My. 1963. 246pp. pb $9.00 (This is a reprint of a 1963 journal article on the development of the Sarawak Museum since its 1888 foundation by its notable - and controversial - Director, Tom Harrison (1911-1976). The policies that have made the Sarawak Museum both a repository for artefacts and a living demonstration of human diversity are discussed. With black-and-white illustrations and translation into French.)

040757
Trade And Society In The Straits Of Melaka: Dutch Melaka And English Penang, 1780–1830. Nordin Hussin. Sg. 2007. 388pp. pb $47.25 (This is a pioneering work is about two very different cities: Melaka, the one with a trading heritage dating back centuries, and Penang, the other a new creation spawned by the declining fortunes of the once mighty Dutch East India Company. Drawing on archival records, many of them not used by earlier historians, this book compares Melaka and Penang during the early period of British control, looking at the significance of the geographical location of British settlements, the nature and direction of trade, the structure of local and colonial society and government policies. The author examines where and how Melaka and Penang fit into the urban traditions of Southeast Asia and the significance of the fact that the period under study coincided with the shift from the “Age of Commerce” towards a period of heightened imperialist activity involving the British and the Dutch in insular Southeast Asia. By documenting the impact of imperialist ambitions on the economy and society of two major trading centres, this book breaks new ground and will provide a point of reference for all future research concerning the period.)

039346
List Of Inscriptions Found In Burma Part 1 (Archaeological Survey Of Burma). Duroiselle, Chas (comp.). Myn. 1921. 216pp. hc $58.00 (Facsimile of the List of Inscriptions found in Burma originally published in 1921 by the official Archaeological Survey of Burma. Information about the dating and state of each of the 1500 inscriptions is tabulated. There is no indication of the present condition of any of these artefacts.)

038123
Five Thousand Years Of Chinese Ceramics From The Robin And R. Randolph Richmond, Jr. Collection. Rotondo-Mccord, Lisa. Us. 2005. 144pp. pb $61.00 (This catalogue of ceramic artefacts created in China over the last 5000 years was published to complement the donation to the New Orleans Art Museum in 2000 of the notable Richmond Collection. A chronology and illustrated introductory essay on the history and development of Chinese ceramics is followed by 100 full-page colour photographs of selected ceramic objects of many kinds. Full descriptions and provenance details are appended. With bibliography and sketch map.)

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has just published a book about the World Heritage charter and the challenges for the new millenium. It’s about 200-pages long and available in French and English and makes for good reading for anyone interested about the World Heritage Sites not just in Southeast Asia, but the world. The best of all? It’s a great resource that’s available for a free download.

This 200-page publication provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of more than three decades of the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and highlights a number of its successes and challenges. It includes a history of the 1972 Convention and its implementation, an analysis of the natural and cultural diversity of the world included on the World Heritage List, and a look at the state of conservation of World Heritage sites. Containing a wealth of information with over 100 photographs, 26 maps and numerous tables and graphs, it is intended for the general reader as well as university students and researchers, heritage conservation specialists and policy-makers.

Check out the publication and the website link here.

18 March 2007 (Jakarta Post) - A book review of Paul Munoz’s Early Malay Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago and Malay Peninsula, a book that incidentally I am currently reading.

Reminder of history’s richness and complexity

In Early Malay Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago and Malay Peninsula, a 392-page work, Munoz is mainly interested in what he calls the the “Classical Period” from the seventh to the 15th Century AD.

During this time a number of powerful polities grew up and competed with one another. Based mainly in Sumatra and Java, but with power extending to the Malay peninsula and modern Thailand, these states (or mandala, as Munoz prefers to call them) both absorbed and imparted influences from and to various directions. Both China and India play major parts in this story.

Of course, this will all go to prove that Indonesia in particular has been absorbing outside influences for millennia.

These include religion and in the pre-Islamic period we find that various forms of Hinduism, including Vishnuism and what the author calls Sivaism (worship of Shiva), and Buddhism all were important.

It is fascinating to learn that Srivijaya, which was based on Palembang in eastern Sumatra, was for a long time in the first millennium AD a major center of Buddhist learning to which devotees traveled from as far away as China to study.

Related Books:
- Early Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago and the Malay Peninsula by P. M. Munoz