Digital Resources for Southeast Asian Archaeology
Everything you want to know about the archaeology of Southeast Asia, arranged by region and theme
To cite this page: Tan, Noel Hidalgo (2006, Updated 6 September 2022) Digital Resources for Southeast Asian Archaeology. Southeast Asian Archaeology. Available at: https://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/resources/
This resource page provide links – over a hundred and counting – to online resources related to Southeast Asian archaeology. It is meant as a starting point for readers who are interested in the subject or who want to learn more about the archaeology of Southeast Asia and its constitutent countries. The links are organised into meaningful themes, but by necessity some of the groupings are further subdivided. For example, the countries and region group is naturally divided into the different countries of Southeast Asia (they each have a resource page on their own!), and the Research resources is made up of several pages such as Journals and Papers, Data Repositories and the Online Lecture Library. Most of the resources are in English, although some are in other languages (e.g., Indonesian and Thai). Although the list is extensive, it probably does not include every resource of relevance to Southeast Asian archaeology. This resource page is a work in progress, and I am continuing to add new resources. If you are aware of a useful resource not listed here, please contact me or leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
Southeast Asia is a relatively modern term, used particularly during World War II to define the area east of India, south of Hong Kong, north of Australia and west of New Guinea. The broadly accepted definition of Southeast Asia is composed of 11 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. You can find out more about the archaeology of these Southeast Asian countries by clicking on the icons below. Southeast Asia can also be grouped into two regions: Mainland Southeast Asia and Island Southeast Asia. In this site, I have an additional category called Peripheral Southeast Asia which refers to the countries and regions at the edge of Southeast Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, Southern China: (including Hong Kong and Taiwan), Papua New Guinea and Australia.
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Archaeological Subfields and Themes
Archaeology is so wide and interdisciplinary that archaeologists often specialise in the study of specific materials and topics. Here are some of the common research themes that can be found in Southeast Asian archaeology.
Research Resources
Below is a list of Southeast Asian archaeology resources for researchers that I have put together. As a researcher myself, I am acutely aware of the need for quality resources and I hope you find it useful. As always, I am happy to receive suggestions and additions to these lists – you can do so through the contact me page or by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page.
This is a list of organisations that have are related to archaeological work or cultural heritage practice with a relevance to Southeast Asia. These external links are to official websites (as opposed to social media interest groups and accounts) that were active at the time of posting; sometimes websites may be temporarily down or may have reorganised their underlying architecture or have even closed down – in these cases the links may not be available. Unless stated, I have no connection with the organisations or entities in these links or control over their content. They are sorted alphebetically in categories. If you have a link to suggest, please contact me or leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
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Government Organisations
- APSARA Authority – The Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap.
- Balai Konservasi Borobudur – Borobudur Conservation Centre.
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Aceh – Branch of the Indonesian Centre for Conservation of Cultural Heritage based in Aceh.
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Bali – Branch of the Indonesian Centre for Conservation of Cultural Heritage based in Bali.
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Banten – Branch of the Indonesian Centre for Conservation of Cultural Heritage based in Banten.
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Gorontalo – Branch of the Indonesian Centre for Conservation of Cultural Heritage based in Gorontalo.
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Jambi – Branch of the Indonesian Centre for Conservation of Cultural Heritage based in Jambi.
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Jawa Tengah – Branch of the Indonesian Centre for Conservation of Cultural Heritage based in Central Java.
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Jawa Timur – Branch of the Indonesian Centre for Conservation of Cultural Heritage based in East Java.
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Kalimantan Timur – Branch of the Indonesian Centre for Conservation of Cultural Heritage based in East Kalimantan.
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Maluku Utara – Branch of the Indonesian Centre for Conservation of Cultural Heritage based in North Maluku.
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Sulawesi Selatan – Branch of the Indonesian Centre for Conservation of Cultural Heritage based in South Sulawesi.
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Sumatra Barat – Branch of the Indonesian Centre for Conservation of Cultural Heritage based in West Sumatra.
- Balai Pelestarian Cagar Budaya Yogyakarta – Branch of the Indonesian Centre for Conservation of Cultural Heritage based in Yogyakarta.
- Balai Pelestarian Situs Manusia Purba (BPSMP) Sangiran – Sangiran Early Man Centre.
- Department of Archaeology, Museum and Library – The Myanmar department of archaeology falls under the Ministry of Culture.
- Direktorat Jenderal Kebudayaan – The Directorate General of Culture is the implementing agency of Indonesia, overseeing cultural heritage, museums and archaeology
- ICC Angkor – The International Coordinating Committee for Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor.
- ICC Preah Vihear – The International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and the Development of Preah Vihear.
- Jabatan Muzium Malaysia (Department of Museums, Malaysia) – The official government website for the Department of Museums, Malaysia.
- Jabatan Muzium-Muzium, Brunei Darussalam – The Brunei Museums Department is responsible for protecting and preserving national heritage.
- Jabatan Warisan Negara, Malaysia – Department of Heritage, Malaysia.
- Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts – Official Cambodian website (in Khmer).
- National Heritage Board – The National Heritage Board of Singapore undertakes the roles of safeguarding and promoting the heritage of our diverse communities, for the purpose of education, nation-building and cultural understanding.
- National Historical Commission of the Philippines – Government agency responsible for the conservation and preservation of Filipino historical legacies.
- National Museum of the Philippines – Government institution which manages and develops the national reference collections in cultural heritage and natural history and conducts research in archaeology.
- Office of Archaeology, Thai Fine Arts Department
- Underwater Archaeology Division – Division of the Fine Arts Department dedicated to underwater archaeology. Facebook page.
International and Inter-governmental Organisations
- ASEAN – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional inter-governmental organisation promoting economic and political cooperation among the 10 member nation states.
- ICCROM – International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property.
- ICOM – The International Council of Museums.
- ICOMOS – non-governmental international organisation dedicated to the conservation of the world’s monuments. and sites with national committees in Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
- SEAMEO-CHAT – The Regional Centre for History and Tradition under the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation, based in Yangon. (Facebook page.)
- SEAMEO-SPAFA – The Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts, under the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation, based in Bangkok. [Disclosure: I work for SEAMEO SPAFA full-time as the Senior Specialist in Archaeology].
- UNESCO – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization promotes international cooperation in education, science and culture.
- UNESCO Bangkok – Website of the Unesco office in Bangkok, which oversees Asia and the Pacific.
- UNESCO UNITWIN Underwater Archaeology Network – The UNITWIN Network for Underwater Archaeology aims to increase capacity in the participating countries through international cooperation.
Research Institutions
- 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.
- Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre – Research centre under the Thai Ministry of Culture promoting archaeology and its related disciplines in the country.
- Temasek History Research Centre – The Temasek History Research Centre (THRC) was established at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in 2019. THRC will focus on Singapore’s premodern history, its economic and socio-cultural links to the region, as well as its historical role as a trading centre.
- Vietnam Institute of Archaeology – Viện khảo cổ học is the national research institution under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.
Professional and Student Associations
- American Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists – Website and listserv for scholars in America
- Association of Myanmar Archaeologists – A blog run by archaeology students in Myanmar
- H-SEASIA Discussion Network – H-SEASIA is a forum for discussion and communications regarding the history and study of Southeast Asia
- Katipunan Arkeologist ng Pilipinas, Inc. – Professional association for Philippine archaeologists. Facebook page
- Maitreya – Maitreya is the student association for the archaeology of Asia, based in Leiden University in the Netherlands
- Myanmar Archaeology Association – The Myanmar Archaeology Association was established to fill the gap between NGOs concerning cultural heritage issues and the governmental sector including the academic institutions such as universities and schools
- Philippine Underwater Archaeology Society – A non-profit society dedicated to help study and preserve Philippines’ underwater heritage, and to raise public awareness about underwater archaeology. Facebook page
- Southeast Asia and Pacific Bioarcharchaeology – a newsletter run by Kate Domett at James Cook University.
Scholarly Societies
- 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.
- 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.
- The Siam Society – Incorporating the Siamese Heritage Trust. The Siam Society Under Royal Patronage was established in 1904 with a mission to promote knowledge of the culture, history, arts, and natural sciences of Thailand as well as those of neighbouring countries.
Special Interest Groups and NGOs
- Center for Southeast Asian Prehistory (CESEAP) – An non-goverment organistion working on the field of palaeoanthropology, founded by Vietnamese archaeologists.
- Chiangmai World Heritage Initiative – Community initiative to list Chiang Mai as a World Heritage Site, which has been on the World Heritage Tentative List since 2015.
- Henry Luce Foundation – Non-profit private foundation that provides grants in the fields of Asia, higher education, religion and theology, art, and public policy.
- Heritage Conservation Advocates – The Heritage Conservation Advocates (HCA) campaigns for the preservation and promotion of historical and archaeological sites in Cagayan de Oro and vicinities.
- 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.
- 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.
- Institute for Southeast Asian Archaeology – ISEAA is a nonprofit organization, formed in late 2013, that builds upon a core of pioneering scholarship in Southeast Asian archaeology that began in the late 1960s at the Penn Museum.
- Singapore Heritage Society – SHS is an independent voice for heritage conservation in Singapore.
- Southeast Asian Ceramic 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.
- Wenner-Gren Foundation – The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Inc. is a private operating foundation dedicated to the advancement of anthropology throughout the world.
- World Archaeological Congress – The World Archaeological Congress ogists, heritage managers, students and members of the public.
- World Monuments Fund – runs a number of projects in Southeast Asia.
Here is where I keep the other useful and interesting sites that are related to the archaeology of Southeast Asia. Unless stated, I have no connection with the organisations or entities behind these links or control over their content. I strive to keep this list updated and relevant, so if you have a suggestion for a useful resource not listed here, please contact me or leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
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Facebook Groups
Facebook is so ubiquitous that it is hard to keep track of all the official pages and groups. I try to prioritise Facebook Pages and Groups that are active and do not have a standalone web presence, followd by the official pages of organisations.
- ASEAN Underwater/Maritime Archaeology Association – Platform for sharing maritime and underwater archaeology related news, articles and other items of interest among practitioners of underwater and maritime archaeology in the ASEAN Region. This was conceived during the “ASEAN Underwater Archaeology Conference on Cultural Heritage Protection and Possibility and Facility Study for Association of ASEAN Underwater Archaeology” held in Thailand on June 28, 2019.
- โบราณคดีเชิงวิพากษ์ Critical Archaeology (Facebook) – Run by the Department of History, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Thammasat University. The page aims to critique and update the historical, art and archaeological news.
- Field School of archaeology (Pyay), Myanmar – Facebook page.
- PoP! Perspectives on the Past of Southeast Asia – Perspectives on the Past of Southeast Asia (PoP) is a research and reading group at the University of Sydney and the University of Oxford. We encourage diverse disciplinary approaches to the Southeast Asian Past, including archaeology, oral history, economic history, performance studies, philology, anthropology and museology. Facebook page.
- Sustainability and Tourism Management at Archaeological and Heritage Sites – Facebook group spun off from a project I conducted for SEAMEO SPAFA in 2017.
Blogs
- EFEO Jakarta blog (French/Bahasa Indonesia) – Blog run by the Jakarta branch of the Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient
- International Council of Monuments and Sites, Philippines – ICOMOS Philippines maintains a blog on the industrial heritage of the Philippines
- It Surfaced Down Under! – A blog by Damien Huffer discussing the looted antiquities trade in the Southern Hemisphere.
- KhmerImagery – Page by Dr Vittorio Roveda on the Archaeology of Imagery from the Khmer Empire
- Paths Unwritten – Website documenting ancient sites in Asia and the peoples who built them, and then adapting them into practical archaeological travel
- Reminiscing Old Java – Blog dedicated to sharing information about old Javanese civilization, including heritage, history, and culture. Last updated 2016
- Siam Rat Blog – A blog about the history and culture of thailand and Laos
- Tea Circle – Forum for new and emerging perspectives on Burma/Myanmar during its current period of political and economic transition.
Podcasts
- The Arch and Anth Podcast – Hosted by Dr. Michael B. C. Rivera in conversation with archaeologists and anthropologists from around the world about their work. There haven’t been any new episodes since 2020, but there is a large back catalogue of 150 episodes.
- HERstory: Southeast Asia – The history of Southeast Asia, told from her perspective with informative takes on the (often lesser-known) female figures of Southeast Asia’s past.
- History of Southeast Asia – Podcast with over a hundred episodes by Charles Kimball. The earlier episodes talk about the archaeology of Southeast Asia, but because it is a grand narrative, some of the details can be out of date. I would use it as an introductory-level resource.
YouTube Channels
- World’s Forgotten Temples – A YouTube channel by Paulo Bonini featuring the many Khmer temples in Cambodia – not just the big popular ones, but also the smaller obscure ones.
Personal Pages
- Alison in Cambodia – Dr Alison Carter of the University of Oregon works in Cambodia. The website is less updated nowadays, but still some good content on it. More active on Facebook.
- Michael Vickery memorial page – Devoted to the late Prof. Michael Vickery, contains a list of his publications.
- Pinisi – Site by Horst Liebner about the Sulawesi boatbuilding tradition.
- Rasmi Shoocongdej – Personal website of Dr Rasmi Shoocongdej of Silpakorn University, Thailand.
- Sarah Klassen – Personal website of Dr Sarah Klassen, director of the Koh Ker Archaeological Project and co-director of the Cambodian Archaeological Lidar Initiative.
- Stephen B. Acabado – Personal website of Dr Stephen Acabado of University of California at Los Angeles.
© 2019
