[Article] Volcanic mud threatens Prambanan Temple.

17 jan. 2011 | The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta by Slamet Susanto

Powerful flows of volcanic mud carried by rivers from Mount Merapi that have destroyed bridges, houses, farmlands and other structures along river banks also pose a threat to the Prambanan Temple.
The famous Hindu temple complex, located in Prambanan on the border of Yogyakarta and
Central Java provinces, sits 100 meters from the banks of the Opak River, a confluence of the Petit Opak and Gendol Rivers that flow from Mt. Merapi.
Prambanan, a ninth-century Hindu temple compound — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia and one of the largest Hindu temples in Southeast Asia.
In 1006, large eruptions on Mt. Merapi covered the Buddist temple of Borobudur in Magelang, Central Java, in ash, where it lay hidden for centuries under ash and jungle growth.
An  official from the Volcanic Technology Development and Research Center (BPPTK) in Yogyakarta, Dewi S. Sayudi, said the threat to Prambanan was immense because the upper streams of both the Opak and Gendol Rivers carried large amounts of volcanic debris from the 2010 Mt. Merapi eruptions.
“The lahar that we have seen so far is just the tip. The flows carry only a small portion of the thick layers of volcanic debris from the slopes of Merapi,” Dewi said recently.
The eruptions in October and November, Merapi’s most powerful in a century, were estimated to
have spewed more than 150 million cubic meters of volcanic debris consisting of large rocks, stones, sand and ash.

[ ... Read the full article here ... ]

Yogyakarta’s Temples in the Firing Line of Lahar Floods
18 jan. 2011 | The Jakarta Globe by Candra Malik

Yogyakarta. Lahar, the cold volcanic debris flowing down the slopes of Mount Merapi, is not only threatening houses and infrastructure but also archeological sites, a geologist said on Tuesday.
Subandrio, head of the Volcano Investigation and Technology Development Institution (BPPTK), said a team of geologists and archaeologists was evaluating the physical condition of temples located near the paths of the lahar runoff from Merapi.
“According to a letter from the Archaeological Heritage Conservation Center of Central Java, we have to give particular attention to the safety of Prambanan Temple and other temples in the complex,” he said.

[ ... Read the full article here ... ]

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[Appel à contribution] Revue Tracés no.22

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Résumé
La revue Tracés consacre son numéro 22 aux approches écologiques en sciences humaines. Ce numéro entend traiter de l’écologie du point de vue des sciences humaines, en articulant une réflexion sur les reconfigurations disciplinaires induites par le questionnement écologique et la diversité des objets couverts par de telles approches. À ces fins, nous serons particulièrement attentifs aux travaux mobilisant les divers modèles écologiques à travers des démarches empiriques.

" [...] Les articles envoyés à la revue Tracés doivent être des articles originaux. L’auteur s’engage à réserver l’exclusivité de sa proposition à Tracés jusqu’à ce que l’avis du comité de lecture soit rendu. Il s’engage également à ne pas retirer son article une fois que la publication a été acceptée et que l’article a été retravaillé en fonction des commentaires des lecteurs.
Les rédacteurs devront envoyer leur contribution (30 000 signes pour les articles, et jusqu’à 20 000 signes pour les notes ; le nombre de signes inclut les espaces et les notes mais pas la bibliographie)

avant le 6 juin 2011          à l’adresse suivante : redactraces[at]ens-lyon.fr.

Les rédacteurs doivent informer préalablement le comité de rédaction de Tracés de leur projet par courrier électronique en indiquant le titre de leur contribution, la rubrique dans laquelle ils le proposent, ainsi qu’un bref résumé du propos. Une réponse motivée, argumentée quant à l’acceptation ou non pour publication est envoyée à l’auteur après le travail de lecture et la délibération des membres du comité de lecture. En cas de réponse positive, l’auteur peut être invité à amender et à retravailler son texte en fonction des remarques suggérées par les lecteurs.
Nous demandons également aux contributeurs de tenir compte des recommandations en matière de présentation indiquées sur la page suivante de notre site :

traces.revues.org/index103.html  ...  "

 

"Appel à contribution Revue Tracés" [en ligne], in Afea, Association française d’ethnologie et d’anthropologie, page publiée le 17 janvier 2011 [visitée le 26 janvier 2011], disponible sur: www.asso-afea.fr/Appel-a-contribution-Revue-Traces.html

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[Article] Digging up South-east Asia's oldest ruins.

Govt hopes to get World Heritage listing for Kedah site that's 1,900 years old

Jan 7, 2011  | The Straits Times | By Carolyn Hong, Malaysia Bureau Chief

Students excavating the structures discovered in Bujang Valley. Two years ago, a team from Universiti Sains Malaysia and government departments uncovered man-made structures dating back 1,900 years. -- PHOTO: MOKHTAR SAIDIN

KUALA LUMPUR | Two years ago, Malaysian archaeologists working in the coastal plains of south Kedah struck an amazing find when they uncovered man-made structures that turned out to be the oldest in South-east Asia.
The team of 30 from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and various government departments found iron ore smelters complete with furnaces and iron slag that dated back 1,900 years to AD110.
They also dug up a brick structure believed to have been used for ritual purposes and a roofed brick platform jetty near Sungai Batu - both dating from the early part of the second century AD.
USM archaeologist, Associate Professor Mokhtar Saidin, realised then that they had found remnants of the old civilisation referred to in many historical texts.
'It's the most complete evidence of a civilisation - the port, industries and rituals, and they were the oldest monuments in South-east Asia,' he told The Straits Times this week.
The discoveries brought visitors flocking to the site located about 90km from Kedah's capital Alor Star. It is part of the Bujang Valley archaeological site where ancient temple ruins have been excavated since the 1840s.
'We have put on a small exhibition as people keep arriving by the busload. We recently had a group of Singapore museum volunteers visit us too,' said Dr Mokhtar.
The tourism aspect has aroused the interest of the federal government, with Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim recently saying it hopes to get the site on the Unesco World Heritage List.

[ ... Read the full article here ... ]

[Article] Architectural heritage crumbles.

January, 10 2011 | Viet Nam News

THUA THIEN HUE — Historic buildings in two localities that functioned as commercial port towns during the Nguyen dynasty are in a severely dilapidated condition.
The Bao Vinh Town, which hosted a busy port in 18th century, had 39 old buildings standing at the end of the American War.
Meanwhile, Gia Hoi, a bustling port town in early 19th century, had 140 old buildings featuring traditional Vietnamese, Chinese as well as French colonial architecture.
These buildings have been so badly damaged by the rampant urbanisation of last two decades, that only 15 of them still stand in Bao Vinh, while Gia Hoi has 55.
Residents complain that they are caught in a bind. One the one hand, they cannot repair their houses to make them safe or expand it to meet their needs because authorities have banned such actions. On the other hand, the authorities themselves have taken no action to preserve the old buildings.
"Many old houses in Bao Vinh are in ruin and vulnerable to floods and hard weather," said Nguyen Van Bon, chairman of Huong Vinh Commune.
A conservation project to protect the two towns was set up by Thua Thien Hue Province in 2003, but only three houses were repaired with funds from the French Parliament. In Gia Hoi, one pagoda had its gate and entrance restored.
Experts have called on authorities to act before it is too late.

[ ... Read the full article here ... ]

Safe as houses? This unique two-storey wooden house in Gia Hoi Old Town is in a bad shape, but local authorities remain unsure how best to protect it. — VNA/VNS Photo Thai Loc

[Article] Grave discovery for heritage advocates.

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 | Sun2Surf | By Himanshu Bhatt

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GEORGE TOWN (Jan 10, 2011) : Penang's heritage advocates are distressed to learn that more than 70 graves related to a pioneer family from the 1800s in Batu Lanchang have been dug up.
The graves include the century-old tomb of Koh Seang Tatt, a philanthropist who died in 1899. Koh's family helped develop the island during its early years under colonial rule.
The tomb at the Batu Lanchang Hokkien cemetery, which held the remains of Koh and his wife, was broken into, and the bones and other ceremonial possessions within removed.
Heritage activist Tan Yeow Wooi decried the incident and said the tombs bore much of the island's precious heritage. He expressed deep concern especially about the fate of the main tomb, belonging to Seang Tatt's grandfather, the pioneer kapitan, Koh Lay Huan, who died in 1826, and his wife which lies on a hillock in the cemetery.
State Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow, who visited the site this evening, said the farmers around the sprawling cemetery had said more than 70 graves were dug up. Some of the remains were found placed in bins and left inside a columbarium.

Empty... Chow peers into the century-old tomb of Seang Tatt whose
family helped develop Penang island during the 1800s.

[... Read the full article ...]

[Article] US Embassy Invites Applications For Ambassadors Fund For Cultural Heritage Restoration.

December 05, 2010 | Bernama.com

MELAKA, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- The United States embassy in Kuala Lumpur is calling on organisations in Malaysia to apply for its Ambassadors Fund for Cultural reservation, a grant to preserve cultural heritage all around the world.
Its counsellor for Public Affairs, Scott Rauland, said the grant which started in 2001 had been given to 640 cultural preservation projects in more than 100 countries.
"This represents a contribution of nearly US$26 million," he told Bernama, here, Sunday.
Earlier, he accompanied Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Judith McHale, on a tour of the restored No 8 shoplot in Hereen Street, here.
McHale who had just arrived here from Jakarta, Indonesia spent more than one hour touring the shoplot, the Cheng Hoon Teng temple nearby, Jonker Street and Jalan Tokong.
This was her first visit to Malaysia and she was fascinated by the preservation work done in the area. Tomorrow, she will be meeting several goverment officals, including at the Education Ministry, before leaving for Singapore on Tuesday.

[... Read the full article here ...]

[Article] Giant fossil bird found on 'hobbit' island of Flores.

Tuesday, 7 December 2010 | BBC Earth News | By Emma Brennand

A giant marabou stork has been discovered on an island once home to human-like 'hobbits'.

Fossils of the bird were discovered on the Indonesian island of Flores, a place previously famed for the discovery of Homo floresiensis, a small hominin species closely related to modern humans.
The stork may have been capable of hunting and eating juvenile members of this hominin species, say researchers who made the discovery, though there is no direct evidence the birds did so.
The finding, reported in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, also helps explain how prehistoric wildlife adapted to living on islands.

Artist’s impression of the size of the giant stork next to a Homo floresiensis hobbit

Tall and heavy

The new species of giant stork, named Leptoptilos robustus, stood 1.8m tall and weighed up to 16kg researchers estimate, making it taller and much heavier than living stork species.
Palaeontologist Hanneke Meijer of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, and affiliated to the National Museum of Natural History in Leiden, the Netherlands, made the discovery with colleague Dr Rokus Due of the National Center for Archaeology in Jakarta, Indonesia.

They found fossilised fragments of four leg bones in the Liang Bua caves on the island of Flores.
The bones, thought to be belong to a single stork, are between 20,000 to 50,000 years old, having been found in sediments dating to that age.
The giant bird is the latest extreme-sized species to be discovered once living on the island, which was home to dwarf elephants, giant rats and out-sized lizards, as well as humans of small stature.
"I noticed the giant stork bones for the first time in Jakarta, as they stood out from the rest of the smaller bird bones. Finding large birds of prey is common on islands, but I wasn't expecting to find a giant marabou stork," Dr Meijer told the BBC.
Only fragments of wing bones were found, but the researchers suspect the giant stork rarely, if at all, took flight.

[ Read the full article here ... ]

[Article] Mrauk U Pagodas Damaged by Railroad Construction.

November 24, 2010  | By Khin Oo Thar

The on-going construction of the Sittwe-Amm-Minbu railroad is damaging important cultural heritage sites in Mrauk U, a well-known site of ancient pagodas and buildings in Arakan State, according to concerned local residents.
"Although we have called for an end to this project, they haven't complied,” a Mrauk U resident told The Irrawaddy. He said damage to some pagodas has been covered over with earth. The railroad construction started on Nov. 7.
The construction project has resulted in damage or destruction of ancient pagodas, stupas, walls, strongholds, religious libraries, moats, and city walls, said local sources.
"Their biggest concern is people who might take pictures or videos of this destruction," said one observer.
Local influential residents, monks and members of the public have submitted a formal request to local authorities to stop the construction, but the project has continued unabated, sources said.

On Tuesday, a letter was sent to the cultural minister with a copy to Snr-Gen Than Shwe and regional authorities, said a local monk.
"It is not only about destruction of our ancient heritage but also our own religious structures. It's a shame for us as Buddhist, destroying Buddha images and pagodas," he told The Irrawaddy.

rauk U is a well-known site of ancient pagodas and buildings in Arakan State. (Source: http://www.routard.com)

[ ... Plus d'informations ... ]

[Article] Abhisit sets out Thai position on temple.

Abhisit: Opposes development

22/11/2010 | Bangkok Post

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has clearly told his Cambodian counterpart that Thailand opposes any attempt to develop disputed territory adjacent to the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
Mr Abhisit said he held bilateral talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen last week on the sidelines of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy meeting in Phnom Penh.
Mr Abhisit said during his weekly talk show yesterday morning that it was the first time the two leaders had seriously discussed issues relating to the proposed development near the temple as part of the Preah Vihear World Heritage project.
He told Hun Sen that Thailand considered the area to be Thai territory but the World Heritage listing in 2008 had led to a proposal for Cambodia to manage the area "and that is unacceptable to us".

[ ... Read the full article here ... ]

[Article] Japanese quartet fluent in traditional, western styles.

November, 20 2010 | Viêt Nam News

HA NOI — A quartet led by Japanese artist Karin Nakagawa will perform a programme of original songs on traditional instruments at Ha Noi's Tuoi Tre (Youth) Theatre on December 8-9.
Nakagawa plays a 25-stringed koto (Japanese harp), and has developed her performance style, a unique way of performing the rhythm with her feet.
Among the other members of her group, Akihito Obama performs shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute), displaying a combination of traditional techniques with a fluency in Western styles, while rounding out the quartet are pianist Mami Ishizuka and percussionist Akira Sunrise, who plays a variety of self-made and other instruments from around the world.
Local guest artists will also join in the performance, including Vanessa Vo Van Anh on dan tranh (16-chord zither) and cheo (traditional opera) singer Thu Huyen.

Cross-cultural: Karin Nakagawa (left) and her quartet will perform Japanese contemporary music on traditional instruments in Ha Noi next month. — Photo courtesy of the Japan Foundation Centre

[ ... Read the full article here ... ]

[Article] 3,000-year-old stone instrument found in Binh Thuan.

November, 18 2010 | Viêt Nam News

HA NOI – Five-stones of a musical instrument believed to date back 3,000 years has been found in central Binh Thuan Province.
Farmer Ho Giap of the province's Duc Linh District found the pieces while working his field.
Binh Thuan Museum director Nguyen Xuan Ly said the trapezium-shaped instrument was created from the dark green stone. Based on its shape and the materials, it could be three millenniums old.
One of the graduated five pieces of the instrument, which has been given to the museum for further study, is broken.
A similar stone instrument was found earlier in the same location.

Read this article here

[Article] More evidence of Oc Eo culture found in Ben Tre.

11/17/2010 | VNA via VOV News

Recent archaeological studies have revealed more evidence of the existence of the Oc Eo culture dating back to 2,000-2,500 years ago in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre.
First traces of the ancient culture were discovered by French archaeologist Louis Malleret, who gave it the name of Oc Eo. The Oc Eo culture is believed to have formed and developed in the southern delta, largely in An Giang, from the first to the sixth century AD.
In the mid-1990s, a farmer named Huynh Van Be in Binh Thanh village, Binh Phu commune found several stone graters and axes in his garden. In 2003, a working team from the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology (VIA) and the Ben Tre Museum conducted an excavation in the area and discovered more stone tools and over 13,000 pieces of ceramics of all types.
After three excavations and two exploration digs on a total area of 484.5 sq.m, the experts collected nearly 500,000 artefacts, with 99 percent being ceramics, and over 250 kilogrammes of animal and human bones as well as Linga and Yoni objects.
The excavations also revealed vestiges of an ancient village, which scientists named Giong Noi, including a ceremic-burning ground, several large kitchens and big houses. The experts believe that Giong Noi people had their own religious beliefs which might have links with the Brahmanism as seen in the worshipping of stone, tortoise, and the sacred objects of Linga and Yoni.

[ ... Read the full article here ... ]

[Article] Restored 17th century dinh opens.

November, 11 2010 | Viêt Nam News

HA NOI — A 17th century communal house (dinh) on the outskirts of Ha Noi that won the highest prize in the heritage preservation category at the International Union of Architects in Xi'an, China, last month, has officially reopened after months of restoration.
"The model restoration project aimed to duplicate as best as possible the original design," said Tran Lam Ben from the Cultural Heritage Department. "However, there has been some improper restoration work, which we will ask the workers to fix later."
According to architect Le Thanh Vinh, who headed the restoration team, the work was extremely intricate.
"We first had to conduct very careful research on all the relics to gauge what sort of condition they were in," he said.
Ultra-sound equipment was used to check the condition of the house's wooden pillars, he said.
Chu Quyen Communal House's 48 wooden pillars were damaged by weathering. However, only two had to be replaced, Vinh said.
The original house roof was made up of 51 different kinds of tiles. Restorers said 48,000 of the original tiles were saved. Those that needed to be replaced were produced using traditional methods of baking clay over straw.
Because of efforts to duplicate the original design, the work took twice as long as normal, Vinh said.

[ ... Read the full article here ... ]

Prize winner: Restoration of the wooden-pillar Chu Quyen (Chang) Communal House won top prize at the International Union of Architects in Xi'an, China, last month. — File Photo

[Article] Volcanic Ash a Threat to Borobudur.

October 29, 2010 | The Jakarta Globe | by Associated Press

A worker dusting volcanic ash off a statue at Borobudur temple. Volcanic ash is threatening one of Indonesia's most popular tourist attractions, officials said on Friday. (Antara Photo)

Yogyakarta. Volcanic ash that has fallen like heavy rain onto a 9th-century temple complex is threatening one of Indonesia's most popular tourist attractions, officials said Friday.
Parts of the famed Borobudur temples have been closed to the public so workers can clean off the blanket of white ash from Mount Merapi, which began erupting Tuesday.
Antiquities experts are concerned the acidic soot will speed the decay of the stones, said Marsis Sutopo, head of the temple conservation office.
Visitors can still enter the outside yard to the temples but won't be able to go inside the gates until at least next week, officials said. A Mahakarya Borobudur traditional dance performance will go on as scheduled Saturday.

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[ ... Read the full article here ... ]

[Article] Silence of the dissenters: How south-east Asia keeps web users in line.

Thursday 21 October 2010 | guardian.co.uk | Ben Doherty in Bangkok

Vietnam, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines are all moving towards Chinese-style internet censorship
• Interactive guide: censorship in Asia

Governments across south-east Asia are following China's authoritarian censorship of the digital world to keep political dissent in check, the Guardian can reveal.
Vietnam, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines have all moved or are moving towards monitoring internet use, blocking international sites regarded as critical and ruthlessly silencing web dissidents.
• In Vietnam, the Communist party wants to be your "friend" on the state-run version of Facebook, provided you are willing to share all personal details.
• In Burma, political unrest can be silenced by cutting off the country from the internet.
• In Thailand, website moderators can face decades in jail for a posted comment they did not even write, if the government deems it injurious tothe monarchy.
While much is made of China's authoritarian attitudetowards internet access, a majority of south-east Asian governments have similar controls and , rather than relaxing restrictions on internet use, many are moving towards tighter regulation.
The Guardian has spoken to five leading bloggers across the region about the present restrictions they face and future fears.
Raymond Palatino, a Filipino MP and editor with Global Voices, says governments, in addition to crudely blocking websites, are starting to use arguments of morality and decency to censor access to information and quash criticism.
"There is direct censorship to block political dissent. You have repressive laws in Myanmar [Burma], in Vietnam, in Singapore. In fact I think Vietnam is catching up with China in terms of building strong firewalls to prevent dissidents from accessing critical content on the internet.
"But we also see governments using the excuse of protecting the public morality in order to censor internet content. Governments use the excuse of censoring pornography as a safe argument to make censorship acceptable to the public."
More than a decade ago, George W Bush asked people to "imagine if the internet took hold in China. Imagine how freedom would spread". But rather than emerging as a catalyst for democracy, the internet has become another way to to stifle dissent.

Interactive: Meet five key bloggers who fear a crackdown on freedom of expression.

[ ... Read the full article here ... ]

[Article] Archaeologists to resume Srikshetra dig.

October 4 - 10, 2010 | The MyanmarTimes | By Cherry Thein

A TEAM of officials and students from the state-run Field School of Archaeology (Pyay) will resume seasonal excavations early this month of the palace complex in the ancient Pyu city of Srikshetra in northern Bago Region.
The principal of the school, U Thein Lwin, said the aim of the dig will be to “uncover the centre of the palace grounds”.
“Based on archaeological and historical evidence, we hope to be able to determine the chronology of events at the palace, the stratigraphy of the site and the history of the structure,” he said.
Srikshetra – located in Hmaw Zar village, about 8 kilometres (5 miles) southeast of present-day Pyay – flourished as a major Pyu settlement from the fourth to ninth centuries AD, pre-dating the rise of Bagan in the 11th century.
U Thein Lwin said the excavation will provide practical experience for diploma students currently enrolled at the field school.
“The exploration work will take place in the post-monsoon season and will last for about four months,” he said. “Anything we uncover will be taken to the Srikshetra Museum for study and classification before it’s moved to the National Museum in Yangon.”
U Thein Lwin said the Ministry of Culture, which runs the field school, granted permission in 2008 for long-dormant excavations to resume at Srikshetra, with the goal of learning more about the culture, civilisation and customs of the Pyu people, as well as about the architecture of the ancient city.
He added that the ministry, which is dedicated to preserving and safeguarding Myanmar’s cultural heritage, provides a grant of US$5000 for each excavation project.
“Myanmar has about 12 archaeological and historical sites that should be maintained as the country’s national heritage, but we need to determine the best way to protect these sites and we need to educate young people to cherish their heritage,” he said.
Archaeological excavation of Srikshetra dates back to 1907, when stone inscription scholar U Taw Sein Kho and Frenchman Leon Debeylie began exploring the area. Occasional digs continued during the following years until they were disrupted by World War II.
Archaeologist U Sein Maung Oo resumed work at the ancient city in 1962-1963. In 1968, archaeologist U Than Swe uncovered sections of the palace wall and housing complex, before exploration of the area again ground to a halt.
The Ministry of Culture granted permission to restart work in 2008, resulting in an excavation project during the 2008-2009 winter season that unearthed a prominent section of the city wall.
U Thein Lwin said that in an effort to catalogue the work being done at Srikshetra, archaeologists have numbered the areas where excavations have taken place over the years, naming 43 sites, or mounds, through to the end of 2009.
Last year, an excavation team picked up work where U Than Swe had dug in 1968, naming the sites the number 44 and 45 mounds. It was here that the palace grounds were located and where excavations will resume this month.

Excavations at Mound 37 (above) and Mound 44 (middle) in the ancient Pyu city of Sriskshetra, near modern-day Pyay. Below : Artifacts dug up at Mound 37. Pics: Supplied

[...Read the full article here ... ]

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[Article] Prehistoric Remains Found in Aceh Town.

September 27, 2010 | Jakarta Globe | Antara

Takengon, Aceh. Two archeologists from Medan have found evidence that a village in Central Aceh district had been inhabited by prehistoric humans.
Ketut Wiradnyana and Lucas Partanda Koestoro announced on Sunday that they had found artifacts such as a a square stone axe, a niche, pottery pieces and a human skeleton inside a cave near Danau Laut Tawar, a lake in Kampung Mendale.
“One of our latest discoveries is a human skeleton which we found in the Ujung Karang Kebayakan area, another excavation site near Kampung Mendale,” Ketut said.
The skeleton’s exact age has yet to be confirmed, since the excavation is still ongoing.
Ketut said the artifacts would have to undergo a carbon dating test at the National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan).
Last May, residents of Jayapura district in Papua Province found prehistoric relics at two different locations.

[...Read the full article here...]

[Article] Japanese ceramics in Boljoon .

09/23/2010 | Cebu Daily News via Inquirer/Global Nation | By Jobers Bersales

It has been a year since we wrapped up our fifth month-long archaeological excavations in the Patrocinio de Maria Church grounds in Boljoon town, southeast Cebu. The timing couldn’t have been better.

Dr. Takenori Nogami, one of the foremost experts in Hizen ceramics in the world, recently confirmed to me by e-mail that three ceramic pieces we recovered last year were not Chinese but were produced by the Hizen kilns in Japan – a finding already made by the National Museum in its report on the excavations some six months ago. These three comprise a blue-and-white double gourd jarlet, a red overglaze bottle and a very large shallow bowl or charger with enamel designs copying those found on chinaware of the same period.
What makes the finds very significant is that before these came into the record, no intact or complete Japanese porcelain ware have ever been recovered in any site in the Philippines. These three pieces therefore continue to add the sterling record of Boljoon as a well-preserved and intact archaeological site, devoid of the looting and incessant grave robbing that would have yielded similar intact finds elsewhere. First were the different gold jewelry pieces recovered in the same site in 2008 and now these three unique finds from the same site.

[... Read the full article here ...]

[Article] Stones of contention.

28 September 2010 | Southeast Asia Globe | Charlie Lancaster

For decades, Preah Vihear has been witness to a war of words and sporadic fights between Cambodian and Thai troops over territorial claims.
The 11th century cultural tourist site lies at the heart of a border dispute that harks back 100 years and was re-ignited in 1954 when Thai forces occupied the temple following French withdrawal from Cambodia. Cambodia's successful bid to have the temple listed as a Unesco World Heritage site in July 2008 sparked the recent series of cross-border spats and political posturing. Since then, nationalists, media sensationalists and politicians pursuing private agendas have commandeered the temple. All the while, tourists and cultural enthusiasts are left waiting in the wings for the curtain to finally close on the drama, so they can visit this World Heritage site in peace.
It is in no one's interest for the issue to spiral out of control, for the disputed land surrounding the temple to turn into a 'zone of death', as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, once threatened or for Thailand to employ military force to resolve the issue, as The Nation quoted Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as saying in August. Dialogue, with or without Asean as a mediating body, is the best hope for a peaceful solution. But why is this conflict dragging on? Who, or what, is adding fuel to the fire?

The 1907 map, on which the 1962 ICJ ruling was based, placed the temple within Cambodia.

The watershed affair
The 900-year-old temple was built at the height of the Khmer empire. In 1904, Siam and French authorities ruling Cambodia formed a joint commission to demarcate their mutual border along the watershed line of the Dangrek mountain range, which would have placed nearly all of Preah Vihear temple on Thailand's side. However, when France drew up a topographic map to identify the border's location in 1907, the line deviated from the watershed in the Preah Vihear area, placing the entire temple within Cambodia. Crucially, Thailand did not immediately contest this map, on which the 1962 International Court of Justice ruling concluded the temple was "situated in territory under the Sovereignty of Cambodia" was based.

[...Read the full article here...]

[Article] Bujang Valley impetus to tourism.

2010/09/19 | New Straits Times | By Subhadra Devan

The discovery of a 110AD monument in the Bujang Valley could have given archeological tourism a kickstart but sadly, it has not so far, writes SUBHADRA DEVAN.
THEY came, they built, they exported. All in Sungai Batu, part of the archaeological expanse we call Lembah Bujang (Bujang Valley) in Kedah, way back in 110AD.
Given the easy accessibility to the sites, Bujang Valley is a good start for our country's archaeological tourism. However, it seems to need a kickstart as it is today underrated -- even among the local populace.
Historical records state that the Bujang Valley civilisation existed long before neighbouring empires such as Majapahit (1200 AD) and Sri Vijaya (700 AD).
However, the Sungai Batu find has made it the oldest man-made structure to be recorded in Southeast Asia. It is not clear still if it was for a religious purpose and the people who were there dealt with iron, smelting and export, which was unusual.
The Sungai Batu historical area, of which there are 97 identified sites, was unearthed by Universiti Sains Malaysia Penang's Centre for Global Archaeological Research (CGAR) team only last year.
The startling discoveries unearthed from 10 of the 97 sites include jetty remains, iron smelting sites, and a clay brick monument boasting a round base with a square top with what could have been a pole in the centre.
The CGAR team revealed its findings at a conference, co-organised by the National Heritage Department, in June in Kuala Lumpur.
"Since then", says CGAR director Associate Professor Mokhtar Saidin, "four more new sites have been unearthed. The area already excavated covers less than a square kilometre."
New estimates now show that the Bujang Valley settlement covers 1,000sq km, mostly around Gunung Jerai, formerly called Kedah Peak, and not 400sq km as previously believed.
The Sungai Batu sites are not tucked away deep in the jungle, unlike scenes in films like Lara Croft -- Tomb Raider. It sits smack on both sides of a highway from Sungai Petani, nestled in an oil palm plantation. You just stop the car, get out, and look.
While CGAR has a guard stationed at the main site which hosts the round base-square-top monument, tourist buses and drive-throughs are welcomed.

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