SEAArch - The Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog

If you’re in the area, KaalaChakra: The Wheel of Time is a current exhibition at the National Library of Singapore showcasing the influence of Indian culture into ancient Southeast Asia. With the kind permission of the National Library Board, SEAArch brings you highlights from this fascinating exhibition.

The term ‘Indianization’ was coined in the early 20th century and was seen as a cultural colonization of Southeast Asia – the idea was that Indian princes and merchants would set up colonies and trading posts in Southeast Asia (notably, Suvarnabhumi and Suvarnadvipa) in their desire to build trade with China. In doing so “converted” local populations into their Indian way of life and religion. Yes, the theory sounds awfully colonial in its thinking, and it fed to another underlying assumption that Southeast Asia was an archaeological backwater compared to the great civilisations of India and China.
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4 Decemeber 2006 (The Star) - A local conducts tours to Malaysia’s biggest rock art site, which is in danger of erosion due to inadequate protection.

Gua Tambun rediscovered

Gua Tambun may have 3,000-year-old cave drawings of humans and prancing deers but some Malaysians are now only “rediscovering” the cave here.

Since May, business consultant Cae Hiew, 29, has been spending his Sunday mornings guiding the public to the almost hidden cave.

…

A check showed that the concrete steps were overgrown with weeds and leaves and that a signboard put up by the Museums Department had also been defaced.

Those interested in visiting Gua Tambun can meet Hiew at the Makro Hypermarket parking lot here at 10am every Sunday. Hiew can be contacted at 012-511 8116.

Related Books:
You can find references to Malaysian rock art in Early History (The Encyclopedia of Malaysia) by Nik Hassan Shuhaimi Nik Abdul Rahman (Ed)

20 September 2006 (Vietnam Net Bridge) - This article has made me change my “cave drawings” category to “Cave Art / Rock Art”.

How artists view Sapa’s ancient rock carvings

Artistic interpretations of the strange rock carvings around Sapa are the theme of a photographic exhibition organized by the Fine Arts Institute, the Southeast Prehistory Center and the Lao Cai Department of Culture and Information at the Hanoi University of Fine Arts until the end of September.

27 May 2006 (The Star) -

Prehistoric drawings risk being lost

Prehistoric drawings and inscriptions in more than 15 caves might be defaced due to lack of efforts to protect them, said National Museum archaeologist Sanim Ahmad.

He said the prehistoric drawings found on the walls of the Tambun Cave near Ipoh were so badly-damaged or smeared by graffiti that they were hardly-visible now.