As expected, not much, yet. There aren’t many channels devoted to archaeology, [...]]]> Last week, Apple announced a revamped iBooks and iTunes U service aimed at bringing textbooks and course materials to the iPad. There’s a fair buzz in the education circles, but how much content is there relating to the archaeology of Southeast Asia?

As expected, not much, yet. There aren’t many channels devoted to archaeology, much less to the archaeology of Southeast Asia. But if you dig deeper, you might be able to find a couple of good lectures and material. Here’s my list of so 7 far:

• Sacred Lands, Sacred Traditions: The arts of Southeast Asia and the Himalayas – a 2005 lecture series by the Society of Asian Art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Covers topics of the art of Thailand and Indonesia in particular, and the art of early Southeast Asia.
• Southeast Asia-China Interaction – from the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore. The lecture series covers a wide variety of topics from the ancient to the contemporary, but some of the lectures relevant to archaeology include talks on Champa in Vietnam and kiln sites in Cambodia.
• Emerald Cities – Another series by the Asian Art Museum, focused on a 2009-2010 exhibition focused on the art of 18-20th century Thailand and Myanmar.
• South and Southeast Asia before 1200 – Part of lecture series on art by Maggie Hobson-Baker of the Montogomery County Community College.
• Arts of Southeast Asia Documentaries – Another one from the Asian Art Museum, one of the the three podcasts in this series is about the temple mountains of Cambodia.
• World Audio Cambodia – Sounds, music and stories from Cambodia. Not exactly archaeological, but there are some locations featured.
• Passport to Asia – Asian Art Museum Lecture series 2008-2009. A wide variety of subjects on Asian sites, but two lectures on Pagan (Myanmar), Borobudur (Indonesia) and the Royal Road of Angkor (Cambodia/Thailand).

That’s a start. It’s not quite seven lectures, as some of the links contain more than one lecture! Do you know of any other content in iTunes U that is related to Southeast Asian Archaeology?

[...]]]> This past year I’ve been working on a side project to use the iPad as the primary data collection device for recording rock art in the field, replacing paper forms that can number in the hundreds. Last week I presented the idea and the results of field testing at the Australian Archaeological Association Conference.

The premise is fairly simple, to use a database app (I used Tapforms, but there are a number out there of various functionalities and prices) and translate existing paper forms into digital ones. The great advantage of the iPad is that one can integrate the camera and GPS functions into the form, so sketching the rock art becomes unnecessary when you can just snap a photo. The biggest advantage is the post-fieldwork paperwork – where before I would have taken me two months to backup the forms and move the data into a table, it now takes two minutes.

Of course, it’s not quite as simple as that, and there are some interface and user considerations. The iPad is still an expensive piece of equipment to bring out to the field and there’s the perpetual fear of dropping the device. Most users (not just archaeologists) complain about the glare of the screen under sunlight, and the key thing to remember about the difference between an iPad and a paper for is the way one interacts with both. On a paper you can write and draw, on an iPad you’re limited to tapping on glass so it’s not one for scribbling notes on. How do we get round that? I used voice memos for all long chunks of texts.

You can see my presentation slides here, or by clicking on the image.

photo credit: alantankenghoe

Shopping in Ancient SG: What the Archaeology of Victoria Concert Hall & Victoria Theatre Tells us Date: 03 December 2011 Venue: National Library of Singapore, Level 5, Possibility [...]]]> Lim Chen Sien from the National University of Singapore will present the findings from recent excavations at Singapore’s Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.

photo credit: alantankenghoe

Shopping in Ancient SG: What the Archaeology of Victoria Concert Hall & Victoria Theatre Tells us
Date: 03 December 2011
Venue: National Library of Singapore, Level 5, Possibility Room
Registration required

Singapore prides itself as a Mecca for shopping, and tourists from all over Southeast Asia fly in for the weekend to indulge in retail therapy. As a port settlement, Singapore is not primarily a production centre but rather a centre of procurement – importing and exporting produce and goods from the region and beyond. Over the years, the island has expanded its ability to effectively procure, if not monopolize, merchandize, redistribute, and retail these produce and goods. So how was shopping like in the past? What did people buy? What was considered trendy and at the height of fashion?

More details here.

Alternative Stories of Rama: Why Did They Emerge in the First Millennium BCE? 17 August 2011 7.00 – 8.30pm Asian Civilisations Museum, [...]]]> Professor Romila Thapar is scheduled to give a talk at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore on the multiple versions of the Ramayana from the first millennium BCE. Registration required, details below.

Alternative Stories of Rama: Why Did They Emerge in the First Millennium BCE?
17 August 2011
7.00 – 8.30pm
Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore
Registration required, email nhb_acm_rpu@nhb.gov.sg by 15 August 2011

The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic poem that has been retold and reinterpreted by different communities and religions since the first millennium BCE . Given the multiple versions of the story of Rama, it is necessary to juxtapose them, and observe and explain the differences. This talk will consider three versions, all written around the same period: the Buddhist Dasaratha Jataka, the Valmiki Ramayana, and the Jaina Paumacariyam. The talk will attempt to explain why the societies of the three versions are depicted in such different ways.

More details here.

Sanskrit in the Archipelago: Translation, Vernacularization and Translocal Identity Prof. Thomas M. Hunter, Faculty of Letters, Udayana University ISEAS Seminar Room II, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, National University of Singapore 21 June 2011 4.00 – 5.30 pm

More information here.

Burmese Palaces and Sacred Sites Venue: Faculty of Decorative Art, Room 3104 (Basement), Silpakorn University (Tha Phra Campus) Date: Sunday 30th January [...]]]> For readers in Thailand, Silpakorn University will be hosting a special lecture/seminar next Sunday on sites in Burma. The event is limited to 100 guests, so please register early to avoid disappointment!

Burmese Palaces and Sacred Sites
Venue: Faculty of Decorative Art, Room 3104 (Basement), Silpakorn University (Tha Phra Campus)
Date: Sunday 30th January 2011, 9.00am – 4.00pm

Limited to 100 guests, to reserve a seat contact:
e-mail: Dr.Chedha Tingsanjali Chedha_t@yahoo.com
Phone: Mr.Worapong Apinanthavej +66870097428

Non-traders from South Asia in the Malay World (end of 13th – end of 17th century) Asian Civilisations Museum 09 [...]]]> Readers in Singapore might be interested in catching this lecture by Daniel Perret from EFEO, which deals with India-Southeast Asia interactions – without the lenses of Indianisation or trade. Registration is required.

Non-traders from South Asia in the Malay World (end of 13th – end of 17th century)
Asian Civilisations Museum
09 November, 7-8.30pm
Details and registration here.
The occurrence of sea travels and migrations from South Asia towards the Malay world is documented through at least the last two millennia. Until now, two major themes have dominated the historiography of the early interactions between these two regions, namely Indianisation and trade. This lecture presents the initial phase of a research on another aspect of these interactions, since it involves non-traders of South Asia who visited and sometimes settled in the Malay world. Contrary to the near silence of the South Asian sources on this issue, European archives, travel reports, numerous and recent historical studies on the sultanates of Samudra-Pasai, Melaka, Aceh and Banten may help to get a clearer vision of the place and role of these individuals and communities in the history of the region.

Gold Land Lords: Sumatran Gold in Southeast Asian Context Thursday, 14 October 2010 7.30 pm Asian Civilisations Museum Ngee Ann Auditorium, ACM Empress Place (Basement)

Sumatra has been known as [...]]]> Readers in Singapore may be interested in attending Dr. Miksic’s lecture this evening at the Asian Civilisations Museum in conjunction with the Sumatra exhibition.

Gold Land Lords: Sumatran Gold in Southeast Asian Context
Thursday, 14 October 2010
7.30 pm
Asian Civilisations Museum
Ngee Ann Auditorium, ACM Empress Place (Basement)

Sumatra has been known as a source of gold for 2,000 years, but very few gold objects come from known sites there. In this talk, Professor John Miksec from the National University of Singapore will reconstruct early Sumatran gold art by comparison with objects found in other parts of the region.