SEA Resources


Here are links to archaeology and research resources for Southeast Asia, categorised by theme and country. Got a link to suggest? Email me at seaarch@gmail.com

Southeast Asian Interest [top]

  • 1421 Exposed – The REAL truth behind Gavin Menzies’ 1421 and a point-by-point rebuttal by academia to why the 1421 thesis doesn’t hold water.
  • EFEO – Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient or the French School of Asian Studies has historically done a lot of research in Indochina because of its colonial links. Website is in French.
  • H-SEASIA Discussion Network – H-SEASIA is a forum for discussion and communications regarding the history and study of Southeast Asia.
  • HOPSea – The Human Origins Patrimony in Southeast Asia, a multinational collaboration between European and Southeast Asian partners.
  • Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association – Founded in 1929, the IPPA is dedicated to the study of prehistory of Eastern Asia (70 deg longitude) and the pacific region.
  • Maitreya – Maitreya is the student association for the archaeology of Asia, based in Leiden University in the Netherlands.
  • NAUSICAÄ – French National Sea Experience Center, in Boulogne-sur-Mer (Northern France), is a Science Center entirely dedicated to the relationship between Mankind and the Sea. Its goal is to incite the general public to discover the sea and to love it, while raising its awareness on the need for a better management of marine resources. They have an extensive directory of links, and SEAARCH is listed under Marine Archaeology in the Culture & Leisure section. (This link goes to NAUSICAÄ’s links page)
  • Sahul Time – An interactive map showing the sea levels and land mass size of Sahul (Australia and Papua New Guinea) and island Southeast Asia.
  • SEAMEO-SPAFA – The Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts, under the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation.
  • Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-Lu – The Ming Shi-Lu is an open access resource to the annals of Ming China (1368 – 1644), in which place names and polities in Southeast Asia is featured greatly.
  • Southeast Asian Ceramics Society – Formed in 1969, the Southeast Asian Ceramic Society’s purpose is to widen appreciation and acquire knowledge of the ceramic art of China and countries adjacent to China, especially those of Southeast Asia. To pursue this aim, local members meet for periodic discussion, to hear talks by experts and to study and compare ‘pots’.
  • Southeast Asian Archaeology Scholarly Website – funded by the Henry Luce foundation and hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Museum, this website offers a web-based bibliography and a skeletal database.
  • Southeast Asian Monuments – A selection of 100 slides from Cambodia, Burma, Vietnam and Thailand.
  • The Southeast Asian Treasure Connection – A website about shipwrecks, underwater treasure hunting and archaeology.
  • UNESCO World Heritage List - Alphabetical list of the World Heritage Sites on the UNESCO register (812 and counting!)

Archaeology, Anthropology and History blogs and sites [top]

  • Anthropology.net - Anthropology.net’s mission is to expand understanding and appreciation of humanity by way of creating a cohesive online community of individuals interested in anthropology. The website intends to lead the anthropological community by primarily promoting and facilitating discussion, reviewing research, stewardship of resources, public and professional education, and the dissemination of knowledge.
  • Archaeology – about.com – A great starting point site for archaeology in general, with tons of information on digs, jobs, sites and issues.
  • ArchaeologyURLs – A meta site of RSS feeds linking to major archaeology websites around the world.
  • Intute: Arts and Humanities – Archaeology – Intute is a free online service providing you with access to the very best Web resources for education and research. The service is created by a network of UK universities and partners. Subject specialists select and evaluate the websites in our database and write high quality descriptions of the resources.
  • NAUSICAÄ – French National Sea Experience Center, in Boulogne-sur-Mer (Northern France), is a Science Center entirely dedicated to the relationship between Mankind and the Sea. Its goal is to incite the general public to discover the sea and to love it, while raising its awareness on the need for a better management of marine resources. They have an extensive directory of links, and SEAARCH is listed under Marine Archaeology in the Culture & Leisure section. (This link goes to NAUSICAÄ’s links page)
  • New Archaeology – A general archaeology site with a British focus.
  • World Archaeological Congress – The World Archaeological Congress is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization and is the only archaeological organisation with elected global representation. Its programs are run by members who give their time in a voluntary capacity. Membership is open to archaeologists, heritage managers, students and members of the public. WAC seeks to promote interest in the past in all countries, to encourage the development of regionally-based histories and to foster international academic interaction. It is committed to the scientific investigation of the past, ethical archaeological practice and the protection of cultural heritage worldwide. It supports the empirical investigation and appreciation of the political contexts within which research is conducted and interpreted, and promotes dialogue and debate among advocates of different views of the past. WAC is committed to diversity and to redressing global inequities in archaeology through conferences, publications and scholarly programs. It has a special interest in protecting the cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples, minorities and economically disadvantaged countries, and encourages the participation of Indigenous peoples, researchers from economically disadvantaged countries and members of the public.

Research Resources [top]

  • Acronyms used by Asian/Pacific Scholars: a Dictionary – Maintained by Ciolek and Noyce at the Research School of Asian and Pacific Studies at the Australian National University in Canberra, this is a comprehensive A-Z web resource for scholars in the Asian and Pacific region. Note that the abbreviation for this website is SEAArch.
  • Asian Studies Toolbar – A great web tool for researchers focusing in asia, the Asian Studies toolbar is an add-on to your Firefox and Internet Explorer browser with built in links to numerous Asian resources – weather forecasts, newspapers, and yes, this website as well.
  • H-SEASIA Discussion Network – H-SEASIA is a forum for discussion and communications regarding the history and study of Southeast.
  • ResearchSEA – ResearchSEA is Asia’s first research news portal, a one-stop centre where journalists and members of the public can gain access to news and local experts from the research world in Asia.
  • Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-Lu – The Ming Shi-Lu is an open access resource to the annals of Ming China (1368 – 1644), in which place names and polities in Southeast Asia is featured greatly.
  • Southeast Asian Archaeology Scholarly Website – funded by the Henry Luce foundation and hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Museum, this website offers a web-based bibliography and a skeletal database.

Museums [top]

UNESCO World Heritage archaeological sites in SEA[top]

Cambodia [top]

  • APSARA Authority – The Authority for the Protection and Managemen of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap. I think the name says it all.
  • CISARK – Carte Interactive des Sites Archeologiques Khmers – By the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia, detailing the Khmer sites in the region.
  • Greater Angkor Project (GAP) – An “international, multidisciplinary research programme interested in the decline of urbanism at Angkor”. The project is coordinated by the University of Sydney.
  • Heritage Watch – Heritage Watch aims to address the problem of the trade in antiquities in Southeast Asia, particularly in Cambodia, by education campaigns, tourism campaigns and other means.
  • Living Angkor Road Project – A joint project between Cambodia and Thailand seeks to trace an ancient royal road between Angkor ad Phimai.
  • Lower Mekong Archaeological Project – Run by the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
  • Origins of Angkor Archaeological Project - Directed by Professor Charles Higham, the Origins of Angkor project is a “multi-disciplinary research project being undertaken by the University of Otago Department of Anthropology and the Fine Arts Department of Thailand. The aim of the project is to assess the seminal aspects of the social, cultural and technological development in the Mun River valley of Northeast Thailand”.

East Timor (Timor Leste) [top]

Laos [top]

Indonesia [top]

  • Balai Arkeologi Medan – The website of the archaeological office in North Sumatra.
  • Balai Arkeologi Palembang – a website about the archaeology of Palembang in Sumatra. Site is in Bahasa Indonesia.
  • Borobudur on Project Jigsaw – by the Australian National University.
  • Indonesia (Journal) – From the website: “”Indonesia Journal”, is a semi-annual journal devoted to the timely study of Indonesia’s culture, history, government, economy, and society. It features original scholarly articles, interviews, translations, and book reviews. Published since April 1966, the journal provides area scholars and interested readers with contemporary analysis of Indonesia and an extensive archive of research pertaining to the nation and region. The journal is published by Cornell University’s Southeast Asia Program.” Articles dated before 2000 are available free for download.
  • Banda Islands Archaeology Website - An archaeology project in the Banda Islands in East Indonedia led by the University of Washington and Gadjah Mada University to uncover the archaeology of this region.
  • Banda Islands Field School Blog – A blog run by the students and instructors attending an 8-week field school at the Banda Islands in early 2009.

Malaysia [top]

  • Caves of Malaysia – run by speleologist Liz Price, a good source of geological, botanical, zoological and archaeological information to caves in Malaysia.
  • Heritage Trust of Malaysia – Badan Warisan, or the Heritage Trust of Malaysia, is an NGO dedicated to conserving and educating about Malaysia’s built heritage.
  • History of the Malay Peninsula – An informative overview about the ancient history of the Malay Peninsula, by writer Sabri Zain, starting from the 1st century AD. Brief introductions to the Buddhist and Hindu periods to the start of the Melaka Sultanate.
  • Malay Nobat, The – A website featuring the Malay Nobat, or royal court orchestra used by the Malay sultans in Malaysia and in the region. A good resource for anyone interested in the ethnomusicology of Malaysia.
  • Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (MBRAS) - Incorporating the Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (JMBRAS), that publishes occasional papers on Malaysian archaeology.
  • Malaysian Timeline – A timeline describing the preiods of Malaysian history from prehistory to modern times.
  • Maritime Asia – Website of the Maritime Archaeology Exhibition at the Muzium Negara, featuring 7 shipwrecks found in Malaysia’s waters.
  • Nanhai Marine Archaeology Sdn. Bhd. – A Malaysia-based company the specialises in historical shipwrecks and the history and development of Chinese and Southeast Asian ceramics.
  • The Niah Cave Project – An archaeological project by the University of Leicester.
  • Peninsular Malaysia’s Oldest Prehistoric Site - by Liz Price a freelance spelaeological consultant in an article posted in 2002 at wildasia.net, a nature conservation site.
  • Perak Man and the Lenggong Archaeological Museum - by Liz Price, spelaelogical consultant. Posted in 2004 at wildasia.net.
  • The Cultured Rainforest Project – is headed by the University of Cambridge to investigate the people of the Kelabit Highlands and their interactions with the forest in the present and past.

Myanmar (Burma) [top]

Philippines [top]

Singapore [top]

  • Heritage Journal, The – Published by the National Heritage Board, the journal “publishes research articles on the history, culture and the art practices of Asia, with an emphasis on material culture, cultural resource management and museum practice”. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be updated past 2005.
  • Maritime Explorations – Maritime Explorations is a Singapore-based salvage and project coordination company specialising in historical shipwrecks.
  • Southeast Asian Archaeology – Focuses mainly on Singapore, with links to ongoing projects in Indonesia.
  • yesterday.sg - Singapore’s heritage metablog that covers museums, local history and collective memories.

Thailand [top]

  • Ban Chiang Project, The – Hosted by the University of Pennsylvania, the Ban Chiang Project is a comprehensive website about Ban Chiang with the aims: “to introduce newcomers to the fascinating archaeological discoveries at Ban Chiang; and second, to keep our friends and colleagues informed on our progress”.
  • Highland Archaeology Project in Pang Mapha District, Mea Hong Son Province Phase 2 – a multidisciplinary archaeological project investigating the different cultures from ancient times to present in in Northwest Thailand.
  • Living Angkor Road Project – A joint project between Cambodia and Thailand seeks to trace an ancient royal road between Angkor ad Phimai.
  • Office of Archaeology, Thai Fine Arts Department – Just like what it says, but the site is in Thai.
  • Origins of Angkor Archaeological Project - Directed by Professor Charles Higham, the Origins of Angkor project is a “multi-disciplinary research project being undertaken by the University of Otago Department of Anthropology and the Fine Arts Department of Thailand. The aim of the project is to assess the seminal aspects of the social, cultural and technological development in the Mun River valley of Northeast Thailand”.
  • Sukhothai, Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet – A website jointly launched by UNESCO World Heritage and the Thai Fine Arts department featuring the ancient Thai capital Sukhothai as well as some of her surrounding towns.
  • Temple Site at Phimai – A computer recontruction of the Khmer temple site of Phimai.

Vietnam [top]

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