photo credit: amanderson2

Abandoning the malls and discovering the Caves
Brunei fm, 28 Feb 2010

At least fifty spine-tinglingly ancient discoveries have been made in Sarawak’s caves, which are suspected to have been in use by the indigenous human population since the Pleistocene era. The Niah Great Cave is the most exciting of them all as it was the site of the discovery of the oldest human skull ever found in Asia. Archaeologists have dated it at around forty thousand years old, making it the property of a young gentleman from the Holocene era.

The remains of Neolithic humans, along with fascinating evidence of how their habits and daily lives would have changed over the centuries, are available to view at the Sarawak Museum in Kuching. The Niah Great Cave is also famous for its incredibly well-preserved cave paintings, some of which depict strange, skeletal longboats bearing their passengers to the land of the dead, and for the ancient Borneo tradition of swallows’ nest-collecting.

Further exploration will reveal a painted cave known for its well-preserved and highly complex prehistoric cave paintings.The paintings can be difficult to see unless you allow your eyes to become accustomed to the dim light. They are rendered in red hematite and cover a long narrow strip (approximately 30 metres) at the back of the wall. They portray spread-eagled human figures, probably representing warriors and hunters, some of the animals of the souls of the deceased on the dangerous journey to the land of the dead.

Ceramics from sunken ships on display at National Museum
New Straits Times, 27 February 2010

Ceramics found in a Sung Dynasty ship, which sunk off Tanjung Simpang Mengayau in the northern tip of Sabah, will be among artefacts to be displayed at the 1Malaysia Ceramic Exhibition at the National Museum here.

The ship, from the Sung Dynasty that ruled China between 960 and 1279, was among the earliest ship to have sunken in the country’s waters.

Museum Director-General Datuk Ibrahim Ismail said other ceramics to be displayed were from the ship Diana which sunk in 1817 during the Qing Dynasty and another ship which sunk in Desaru in 1830 also during the Qing Dynasty.

This 3-day conference will examine these two Indian Ocean port zones in
various respects – the specific natures and the roles of these zones as well
as comparisons between these; mutual perceptions between the peoples of the
two zones; the links between these regions in terms of commercial
interactions over time and the effects of such commerce; cultural and
religious interflows between these two ends of the Indian Ocean;
transmission of the ideas of modernity, urbanism, and cosmopolitanism
between these two areas; the effects of European imperialism and commerce;
the commercial and religious networks connecting the two places; migration
between the two places; pilgrims and tourists; as well as the role of India
and Indians in these interactions. There is no restriction on the periods to
be examined.

Paper proposals are invited from scholars engaged in any aspect of related
studies. Proposals should be received by 20 March 2010 and successful
applicants will be informed of their acceptance by 1 April 2010. Paper
proposals should include a title and a 400-word abstract, together with a
short biography of the applicant.

All participants will be provided with four nights accommodation in
Singapore. Requests for assistance with airfares, especially from
participants based in Asian countries, will be sympathetically considered.

More information on the Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre website.

Over $1.2 million to preserve Thang Long Royal Citadel
Vietnam Net Bridge, 26 February 2010

The Hanoi authorities have approved a $1.2 million project to preserve the Thang Long royal citadel in Hanoi, funded by the UNESCO.

This project will be carried out by the Centre for Conservation of Co Loa Relic and Hanoi Ancient Citadel.

From January 2010 to January 2013, the project will research and evaluate the values of this site and suggest measures to preserve the site.

Dong Son style swords on display at the Thanh Hoa provincial museum

Journey through history with antique swords
Viet Nam News, 26 February 2010

An exhibition of 99 ancient swords recently opened in Ha Noi, offering visitors a chance to learn more about history’s most popular weapon.

The swords were selected from the private 300-sword collection owned by collector Duong Phu Hien.

Four generations of Hien’s family have maintained and added to the collection. “By collecting and preserving ancient Vietnamese artefacts, especially those relating to the defence of our nation, every member of my family has demonstrated their love for the country and its magnanimous history,” Hien said.

The exhibition features a large array of swords, including 37 that were made in Viet Nam. The others came from different countries, including China, Japan, and the UK.

photo credit: Marc Veraart

New archaeological sites reveal life after ancient Toba eruption
The Star, 23 February 2010

Newly discovered archaeological sites in southern and northern India have revealed how people lived before and after the colossal Toba volcanic eruption 74,000 years ago, according to Press Trust of India (PTI) on Tuesday.

The international and multidisciplinary research team, led by Oxford University in collaboration with Indian institutions, has uncovered what it calls ‘Pompeii-like excavations’ beneath the Toba ash.

The seven-year project examines the environment that humans lived in, their stone tools, as well as the plants and animal bones of the time.

“This suggests that human populations were present in India prior to 74,000 years ago, or about 15,000 years earlier than expected based on some genetic clocks,” said project director Michael Petraglia, Senior Research Fellow in the School of Archaeology at the University of Oxford.

Full article here.

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Chinese experts to explore sunken ships from Cheng Ho’s fleet in Africa
People’s Daily Online, 24 February 2010

The National Museum of China, Peking University’s School of Archaeology and Museology, as well as the Kenya National Museum jointly signed an agreement February 23, under which, Chinese and Kenyan experts will investigate and excavate underwater and onshore cultural relics in Kenya’s Lamu Archipelago, in a bid to further solve relevant historical mysteries relating to China-Africa cultural and economic exchange in ancient times. In addition, some Chinese experts will visit Kenya to explore the sunken ships from Cheng Ho’s fleet.

Zhao Hui, director of Peking University’s School of Archaeology and Museology, said that this project has witnessed 5 years of investigations, argumentations and preparations and it involves investigating, exploring and excavating the underwater cultural relics in and around the Lamu Archipelago, unearthing ancient ruins in and around Malindi City, and researching Chinese cultural relics unearthed in Kenya’s coastal areas.

I must confess that I did not know anything about the Mughals before this exhibition; the short version is that the Mughal
Empire ruled most of India between the 16th and 19th centuries, and oversaw a period of great wealth and prosperity. Case in point: the Taj Mahal, one of the most iconic symbols of India is an example of Mughal architecture; and the word ‘mogul’ which means a person of great power also has its roots from the word Mughal. And powerful rulers they had to be, because they were Islamic rulers overseeing an vastly Hindu population. So their jewelled arts were as much a symbol of power as they were of beauty.

The exhibition is laid out in different sections, each highlighting a particular technique, such as stone settings, enamelled pieces, and inscribed gemstones. The last one is a particular highlight, featuring gemstones such as emeralds and spinels inscribed with royal names.

Inscribed gemstones from the Treasury of the World

This dagger is an example of gemstones laid in a background of gold floral ground – set with rubies, diamonds, emeralds, ivory and agate.

Mughal jewelled dagger and scabbard, c. 1615-1620.

The name of the exhibition comes from a letter by the British Ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe, who wrote in 1616 about the Mughal Court. It’s certainly worth a visit if you’re in Singapore – just another reason to visit the Asian Civilisations Museum.

Special thanks to Binjing @ ACM for the permission to take photographs at the exhibition. The Treasury of the World exhibition is on from now until 27 June 2010 at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. For more information, click here.

Ancient objects found at former Hoa Lu capital
VOV News, 23 February 2010

A host of ancient objects dating back to the 10th -18th century have been discovered at the Hoa Lu ancient capital relic in the northern province of Ninh Binh.

The objects made in the Dinh (968-980), Ly (1009-1225), Tran (1225-1400) and Le (1418-1789) dynasties include square floor tiles with lotus and phoenix patterns, bowls, dishes, jars and other pottery items. They were found after archeologists had excavated an area of over 500 sq. metres at the relic site.