Resources

Here are links to archaeology and research resources for Southeast Asia, categorised by theme and country. If you have a link to suggest, please get in touch! You may also be interested in our crowdsourced list of influential books about Southeast Asian Archaeology.

Southeast Asian Interest [top]

  • Ceramics in Mainland Southeast Asia – Collections of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthuer M. Sackler Gallery
  • 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.
  • It Surfaced Down Under! – A blog by Damien Huffer discussing the looted antiquities trade in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • Maitreya – Maitreya is the student association for the archaeology of Asia, based in Leiden University in the Netherlands.
  • NAUSICAà– 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. (This link goes to NAUSICAÄ’s English site)
  • Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre Archaeology Unit Youtube Channel – A collection of Youtube videos curated by the Archaeology Unit dealing with the archaeology of Southeast Asia. The Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre is located in the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.
  • 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.
  • South and Southeast Asian Art and Archaeology Index (ABIA) – The ABIA Project is a global network of scholars co-operating on an annotated bibliographic database for publishers covering South and Southeast Asian art and archaeology.
  • Southeast Asia and Pacific Bioarcharchaeology – a newsletter run by Kate Domett at James Cook University.
  • Southeast Asian Archaeology Lab – Headed by Stephen Acabado at the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA
  • 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 Images & Text – A collection of teaching and research resources put together by the people at the University of Wisconsin. Contains a section of images of Angkor Wat.
  • 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.
  • The Southeast Asian Treasure Connection – A website about shipwrecks, underwater treasure hunting and archaeology.
  • UNESCO Bangkok – Website of the Unesco office in Bangkok, which oversees Asia and the Pacific.
  • 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.
  • Archaeological Ethics Database – This database is an ongoing project by the Register of Professional Archaeologists (the Register) and the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA). The goal of the database is to bring together sources on archaeological ethics in a single place for the use of students, researchers, and professional archaeologists.
  • Archaeology – about.com – A great starting point site for archaeology in general, with tons of information on digs, jobs, sites and issues.
  • 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.

Journals [top]

  • Asian Archaeology – Publishes articles on all aspects of Asian Archaeology
  • Asian Culture and History – Published by the Canadian Center of Science and Education, Asian Culture and History covers topics such as culture, history, arts, anthropology, archaeology, religion, and linguistics.
  • Asian Perspectives – Asian Perspectives is a peer-reviewed journal focusing on the archaeology of Asia and the Pacific region. Articles from 1955-2008 are available online for download.
  • Antiquity – Covering world archaeology, but of recent years has featured many Southeast Asian papers.
  • Bulletin de l’ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient – One of the oldest Asian studies journals, BEFEO publishes in French and English. Archives available from 1901-2003.
  • Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association – Another international peer-reviewed journal for archaeology in Southeast Asia, East Asia and the Pacific. Journal is open access.
  • Damrong – The archaeology journal of Silpakorn University.
  • Hukay – The journal of the University of the Philippines’ Archaeological Studies Programme.
  • 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.
  • Journal of Burma Studies – Open access, and one of the few peer-reviewed journals focusing on Myanmar.
  • Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society – Originally Journal of the Straits Branch, and then Malayan Branch and now the Straits Branch, the journal first published in 1878 and contains many scholarly articles on the culture, history and archaeology of Malaysia and its peoples.
  • Journal of the Siam Society – Established in 1904, the Journal of the Siam Society publishes original scholarly articles in English pertaining to Thailand. Articles are Open Access from 1904 – 2011.
  • Muang Boran Journal – A journal dealing with Thai Archaeology.
  • Pratu – the Journal of Buddhist and Hindu Art, Architecture and Archaeology of Ancient to Premodern Southeast Asia is an initiative of a group of research students in the Department of History of Art and Archaeology at SOAS University of London in collaboration with departmental mentors. The journal is funded by the Alphawood Foundation, under the auspices of the Southeast Asian Art Academic Programme (SAAAP).
  • Repositori Institusi Kemendikbud RI – The Institutional Repository of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. The link directs to a search of all archaeological material in the repository.
  • Southeast Asian Archaeology Repository of Knowledge – A repository maintained by the Nalanda-Sriwajaya Centre hosting published and unpublished reports on Southeast Asian archaeology.
  • SPAFA Journal – The journal of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre of Archaeology and Fine Arts (SPAFA). Page links to four micro-sites, the current SPAFA Journal, the old SPAFA Journal (1991-2013), the SPAFA Digest (1980-1990) and various SPAFA Publications. [Disclosure: I serve as the Managing Editor for the SPAFA Journal in as part of my duties at SEAMEO SPAFA]
  • Wacana – the Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia is a scholarly journal of the Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia, and is a medium for scholarly discussion, description, and surveys concerning literature, linguistics, archaeology, history, philosophy, library and information studies, religion, art, and interdisciplinary studies. The journal is published twice a year.

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.
  • The Corpus of the Inscriptions of Campā – The Corpus of the Inscriptions of Campā is a publication of the École française d’Extrême-Orient, realized in collaboration with the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University. This project aims to recover, preserve, study and make accessible the corpus of inscriptions of ancient Campā (in present Việt Nam), written either in Sanskrit or in Old Cam.
  • EFEO Image archives – Archival images collected by the École française d’Extrême-Orient, available online.
  • H-SEASIA Discussion Network – H-SEASIA is a forum for discussion and communications regarding the history and study of Southeast.
  • International Council of Museums
  • Interpol Database of Stolen art
  • Khmer Inscriptions Program – Online database of K-inscriptions. In French.
  • 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.
  • UNESCO Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws
  • World Monuments Fund – runs a number of projects in Southeast Asia.

Museums [top]

  • Ancient Sculpture of Vietnam – 3D Virtual Museum – A virtual museum set up by Quang Tri Nguyen, which gives you an interactive close up on Vietnamese sculptures.
  • Angkor National Museum – Opened in 2007, the Angkor National Museum is located in Siem Reap and promises to show visitors the splendours of the ancient Angkor civilisation.
  • Asian Civilisations Museum – The museum’s collection features archaeological artefacts from Southeast Asia, China and India.
  • Bangkok National Museum – Official website of the Bangkok National Museum, which houses an archaeological and art history collection.
  • Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture – A museum dedicated to the sculpture of the ancient Cham, centred in South Vietnam. Website is in Vietnamese and English.
  • Jabatan Muzium Malaysia (Department of Museums, Malaysia) – The official government website for the Department of Museums, Malaysia.
  • Museum Nasional Indonesia – The Indonesian National Museum.
  • Museum Pusaka Nias – Or the Museum of Nias Heritage in Nias Island, Sumatra. The blogsite is mainly in Bahasa Indonesia.
  • Ni Xue Tang – A private museum in Singapore dedicated to Buddhist art.
  • Sculpture of Angkor and Ancient Cambodia – Virtual tour of exhibition of the same name that was in the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. in 1997.
  • National Museum of Singapore – Collection showcases the history of Singapore from the 14th century to modern times.
  • Sarawak Museum – Borneo’s oldest museum has collections featuring archaeology and ethnology.
  • Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum – The museum is located in the Bangkok University. Website in Thai, but there are links to the English-language newsletter which is regularly published.
  • Vietnam National Museum of History – in Hanoi
  • Virtual Collection of Masterpieces – Run by ASEMUS, a network of Asian and European museums, featuring some of the best offerings from the network’s collections.
  • Yale University Indo-Pacific Gallery – The Gallery’s Indo-Pacific art collection represents the art of maritime Southeast Asia and includes about 1,900 objects, with strengths in ethnographic sculpture, Javanese gold from the prehistoric to the late medieval period, and Indonesian textiles.

UNESCO World Heritage archaeological sites in SEA[top]

Cambodia [top]

  • Angkor Guide – An independent website by Johann Reinhart Zieger that provides background information to the many temples at Angkor, including practical information about visiting them.
  • Angkor Wat Minecraft Project – A project to recreate Angkor Wat in the game Minecraft.
  • Angkor Research Program – An “international, multidisciplinary research programme interested in the decline of urbanism at Angkor”. The project is coordinated by the University of Sydney.
  • APSARA Authority – The Authority for the Protection and Managemen of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap. I think the name says it all.
  • Archaeological Projects in Cambodia – A list of past and current projects in the kingdom run by Alison Carter.
  • Cambodian Archaeological Lidar Initiative – Project website of the Lidar imaging programme.
  • The Database of the Restoration Work of the Southern Library of Bayon – By a collaboration between Japan and the APSARA Authority.
  • 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.
  • ICC Angkor – The International Coordinating Committee for Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor
  • Lower Mekong Archaeological Project – Run by the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
  • Kerdomnel Khmer magazine – The website of a Cambodian magazine dedicated to Khmer heritage and archaeology.
  • 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”.
  • P’teah Cambodia – A archaeology project directed by Drs Miriam Stark and Alison Carter investigating the archaeology of households and non-elites in Cambodia
  • Virtual Sambor Prei Kuk – A digital reconstruction of a 7th century temple from the University of California, Berkley

East Timor (Timor Leste) [top]

Indonesia [top]

  • Borobudur on Project Jigsaw – by the Australian National University.
  • 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.
  • EFEO Jakarta blog (French/Bahasa Indonesia) – Blog run by the Jakarta branch of the Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient.
  • Tanah Datar Archaeological Project – An excavation blog for the Tanah Datar Archaeological Project, running from 1 March – 8 April 2012, by Universitas Indonesia and the Frei Universität Berlin.

Laos [top]

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.
  • 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.
  • 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]

  • 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.
  • Spatial Discovery – A collection of over 3,000 maps from the last 200 years organised by the National Libary of Singapore.
  • World of Temasek – A Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) that is set in 14th century Singapore. Based on the actual archaeology of Singapore.

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.
  • 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”.
  • Temple Site at Phimai – A computer recontruction of the Khmer temple site of Phimai.

Vietnam [top]