Toba’s eruption provides snapshot to life in India 74,000 years ago

March 8th, 2010 noelbynature Posted in Indonesia, Peripheral Southeast Asia No Comments »

Archaeologist have a developed a clearer picture of what life in India was like, 74,000 years ago before and after the massive supervolcano eruption of Toba in Sumatra.
Lake Toba sunset
Creative Commons License photo credit: Marc Veraart

New archaeological sites reveal life after ancient Toba eruption
The Star, 23 February 2010
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Chinese archaeologists to search for Cheng Ho’s fleet in Africa

March 8th, 2010 noelbynature Posted in Peripheral Southeast Asia, Underwater Archaeology No Comments »

Agencies in China and Kenya penned an agreement last month to investigate the cultural links between China and Kenya in Kenya’s Lamu Archpelago, which include an exploration of sunken ships from Admiral Cheng Ho’s (Zheng He) treasure fleet.


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Chinese experts to explore sunken ships from Cheng Ho’s fleet in Africa
People’s Daily Online, 24 February 2010
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Treasury of the World: The Jewelled Arts of India and the Mughals

March 5th, 2010 noelbynature Posted in Exhibitions, Museums, Peripheral Southeast Asia, Singapore No Comments »

At a recent visit to the Asian Civilisations Museum, I managed to catch their latest exhibition entitled Treasury of the World: Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals. It’s on until the end of June, and worth a visit if you’re in Singapore (that, and their Southeast Asian collections!)


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Jewel of Muscat sets sail for Singapore

February 17th, 2010 noelbynature Posted in Peripheral Southeast Asia, Singapore, Underwater Archaeology No Comments »

The Jewel of Muscat, a working re-creation of a 9th century Arab dhow that plied trade between the Middle East and Southeast Asia, set sail from the port of Muscat in Oman on a five-month journey to Singapore, where it will remain as a symbol of friendship between the two countries.

Jewel sets sail on a tide of history
The National, 15 February 2010
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Scholars speak out against ‘Ramayana Trail’

November 24th, 2009 noelbynature Posted in Peripheral Southeast Asia No Comments »

Scholars in Sri Lanka voiced their criticism of the country’s tourism campaign to promote a ‘Ramayana Trail’, aimed at Hindu pilgrims to visit sites in Sri Lanka associated with the Ramayana epic. The Ramayana is an Indian epic about the life of Rama and whose influence in traditional Southeast Asian art forms endure to today. Archaeologists and historians both question the authenticity of the sites on the “Ramayana Trail” and the melding of legend with fact.

Timely Masterpiece
Creative Commons License photo credit: lensbug.chandru

‘Ramayana trail’ draws heavy flak
Asian Tribune, 20 November 2009
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Prehistoric settlements uncovered in Sri Lanka

October 22nd, 2009 noelbynature Posted in Peripheral Southeast Asia 1 Comment »

Archaeological excavations in the northern district of Jaffna have uncovered evidence for ancient settlements dating to the first millenium BC. I like how they referred to one of the settlement as belonging to the ‘ironic’ ages. My guess it was just after a mercurial era. =P

Ancient settlements unearthed in Jaffna
Sri Lanka Daily News, 15 October 2009
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Maritime museum allows archaeologists to work and visitors to admire at the same time

October 22nd, 2009 noelbynature Posted in Museums, Peripheral Southeast Asia, Underwater Archaeology No Comments »

The Beijing Review has an article about the ongoing excavations at the Nanhai No. 1 wreck, recovered off the coast of China’s Guangdong province. The amazing aspect of this shipwreck recovery is that the entire shipwreck, silt and all, was relocated to a purpose-built museum which allows archaeologists to work on recovering finds and visitors to watch at the same time.

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Treasures From a Watery Grave
Beijing Review, 22 October 2009
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