[Article] Historian advocates joint control of border heritage sites.

January 23, 2011 | The Nation by Supalak Ganjanakhundee

Countries in the Mekong River basin and the Dangrek Mountain range should consider creating a trans-boundary world heritage site of cultural and natural resources to end their border conflicts, prominent historian Charnvit Kasetsiri proposed over the weekend.
Speaking at a seminar "Our Boundaries, Our Asean Neighbours" on Friday, Charnvit said countries in the region had a lot of cultural and natural heritage left by ancestors centuries ago, some of which were sources of conflict.
Thailand and Cambodia have been at loggerheads over the Hindu temple of Preah Vihear for half a century. The proposal by Cambodia to list the ruined temple as a World Heritage site in 2008 fuelled conflict between the neighbouring countries.
A group of Thai nationalists want the government to block Cambodia's attempt to run Preah Vihear and kick a Khmer community out of the area adjacent to the temple.
A ruling by the International Court of Justice in 1962 found that Preah Vihear was situated in territory under the sovereignty of Cambodia.
Bangkok said it respected the court's ruling but argued that the temple's vicinity and even the land where the temple sits belongs to Thailand.
Preah Vihear temple was listed as a World Heritage site in 2008 but the Thai government, with strong support from nationalist groups, opposed its management plan. The two countries remain in conflict and seem to have no way to settle their differences.
Charnvit proposed what he is calling a "Mixed Cultural and Natural Mekong-Dangrek World Heritage" as a model to end the conflict.
There were some examples in the world, he said, where trans-border World Heritage sites had been possible, citing the Iguazu waterfalls - the world's largest - which are situated on the border of Argentina and Brazil.

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

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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 ...]

Call for Papers - Southeast Asia : art, cultural heritage and artistic relations with Europe/Poland

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The International Conference
SOUTH-EAST ASIA: ART, CULTURAL HERITAGE,
AND ARTISTIC RELATIONS WITH EUROPE/POLAND
www.sztukaorientu.pl/congress ; www.orient.uw.edu.pl/sea

September 29 – October 1, 2011
The Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology
26, Konopnickiej St., Krakow, Poland

The Polish Society of Oriental Art is organising its 14th conference : South-East Asia : Art, Cultural Heritage and Cultural Relations with Europe / Poland which will be held September 29th – October 1st, 2011 in Krakow.
This conference will be held at the time of Poland’s presidency in the European Union and is connected with the activity of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) organisation.

Poland has a long-standing tradition of research in Asian studies, including the region of South-East Asia, and of participation in restoration of art monuments there (especially in Cambodia and Vietnam). Some institutions in Poland have been involved in stimulating academic interest in South-East Asian culture and art, such as the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the University of Warsaw, the Institute of Oriental Philology of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow and the Institute of Study and Restoration of Artistic Works of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun as well as the Asia and Pacific Museum in Warsaw.

Interest in the culture of this region has been growing among art historians, art restorers, museologists, orientalists, ethnologists, theatre, dance, music and film scholars.
Closing date for submissions is 31 March, 2011. Registration information here.

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[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] 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 ... ]

[Programme] IIAS Summer Programme.

Heritage Conserved and Contested: Asian and European Perspectives

19 - 26 June 2011. Leiden, The Netherlands.

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Registration is now open! Registration closes on the 15th of January 2011

This first Summer Programme in Asian Studies aims to shed light on the various definitions, interests, and practices associated with the question of cultural heritage in Asia and Europe
The programme aims at Master’s and doctoral students incorporating heritage issues in their work.
Research specialists from various academic backgrounds (social anthropology, history, archaeology, conservation studies including cultural resource management) will combine their expertise to provide participants with an intensive - yet interactive - experience. The theme of cultural heritage touches upon a wide array of knowledge forms and traditions (inc luding those of local actors) while it also links theoretical frameworks with applied and policy-relevant knowledge and action.

The programme will be run by two world-renown scholars in the fields of cultural heritage theory and cultural Asian history, respectively : Prof. Michael Herzfeld (Harvard University) and Prof. Nira Wickramasinghe (Leiden University).

 To see the key questions associated with cultural heritage that arise most frequently : click here.

For information and registration, please visit www.summerprogramme.asia

Journée culturelle AESCI - Cambodge [INALCO/Dauphine]

Association des Étudiants de la Section Cambodgienne à l’INALCO
Samedi 6 novembre 2010, à l’INALCO / DAUPHINE
Cambodge
Patrimoine vivant – Héritage & création

Cette journée culturelle organisée par l’Association des Étudiants de la Section Cambodgienne de l’INALCO, a pour propos de montrer des exemples représentatifs de ces manifestations artistiques qui ne sont connus hors du Cambodge que par un public averti. Des contributions à caractère théorique par des experts, des chercheurs et des praticiens engageront la réflexion et susciteront le débat dans la salle.

L’attention est portée sur l’époque contemporaine avec une double interrogation :
- D’une part, nous nous questionnerons sur la façon dont la nouvelle génération de cambodgiens fait référence, vivifie, réinvestit les traditions reçues dans la production artistique actuelle.
- D’autre part, nous nous pencherons sur la relation des œuvres anciennes et nouvelles avec le public : à qui sont-elles destinées ? Dans quelles cadres et dans quelles conditions sont-elles communiquées, transmises, voire commercialisées ?

Un programme de courtes représentations artistiques, musique, danse, théâtre, littérature orale et écrite, donne corps aux propos en question, et précise l’objet des débats. Ce programme est :
- d’une part constitué de documents filmés des artistes cambodgiens à l’œuvre au Cambodge.
- d’autre part il est incarné par des artistes de la diaspora cambodgienne représentée aussi bien par des maîtres anciens que par leurs jeunes héritiers de France.

A travers quelques exemples de réalisations, nous traiterons la question des processus actuels d’évolution des pratiques artistiques.

Cette manifestation, co-présidée par Madame Marie-Sybille de Vienne et Monsieur Alain Forest, est réalisée par l’association AESCI, sous le patronage de l’Inalco, avec la participation du Service Communication de l’Inalco et le soutient de l’Association des Anciens Élèves et Amis des Langues Orientales.

Plus d'informations :

- Programme public déroulement
- Presentation journee Cambodge du 6Nov10
- affiche Cambodge Patrimoine vivant - AESCI Infocom Inalco

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[Atelier] French-Japanese Workshop on Science for Conservation of Cultural Heritage

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 Les 4 et 5 novembre 2010 à l’Auditorium Marie Curie, CNRS, 
3 Michel Ange, 75016 Paris.
Voir : www.c2rmf.fr/...

La Société Japonaise pour le Patrimoine de la Science (JSPS), le Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication et le Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) organisent « French-Japanese Workshop on Science for Conservation of Cultural Heritage ».
L'objectif du colloque est de promouvoir les collaborations entre la France et le Japon dans le domaine de la recherche scientifique appliquée à la connaissance de l'art et de sa conservation.

Deux axes principaux seront ainsi développés:
1 - Examens et analyses
2 - Conservation - Restauration.

15 Orateurs sont invités, pour voir le programme de la conférence cliquez ici.

L'inscription est gratuite, mais obligatoire pour des raisons pratiques et logistiques. La date limite d'inscription est le 15 octobre 2010. Pour vous inscrire cliquez ici.

Nous serions très heureux de vous compter parmi nous à l'occasion de cet événement que nous pensons être important pour une meilleure compréhension et diffusion de la Science.

[Exposition] Archi & BD - La ville dessinée.

09 Juin 2010 - 28 Nov. 2010

L’exposition « Archi & BD », présente au grand public ou rappelle aux passionnés de la bande dessinée, les relations qu’entretiennent la bande dessinée et l’architecture.

Une articulation fondatrice
Dès le début du XXe siècle avec des auteurs comme Winsor McCay (Little Nemo), George McManus (La famille Illico), Frank O. King (Gasoline Alley) ou Alain Saint-Ogan (Zig et Puce), la bande dessinée explore la ville, fascinée par le monde naissant qu’elle symbolise.
Cette thématique, non seulement de la ville, mais des éléments immédiats qui s’y rattachent comme l’architecture, l’urbanisme, le design, l’Histoire ou la politique, est devenue le terrain idéal de descriptions esthétiques et de réflexions sur le monde contemporain avec des auteurs comme François Schuiten, Benoît Peeters, Enki Bilal, Moebius…
L’exposition abordera, sans volonté d’exhaustivité, les représentations de la ville dans la bande dessinée.
Le propos sera chronologique, des années 1900 à nos jours avec une présentation, en fin d’exposition, de projets particuliers : la ville imaginaire de Villemolle des Requins Marteaux, le musée Hergé, la Maison de Verre, une commande de Jean Nouvel à des auteurs de bande
dessinée.
Cette chronologie sera ponctuée par des références aux métropoles. New-York, Paris et Tokyo seront observées à travers le prisme d’auteurs, comme Will Eisner, Jack Kirby, David Mazzuchelli, Riad Sattouf pour New York ; Blutch, Tardi, Dupuy-Berberian pour Paris ; Jiro Taniguchi, Osamu Tezuka, Toiyo Matsumoto, Maoki Urasawa pour Tokyo. Cette dimension internationale sera confirmée par la présence d’auteurs chinois et coréens.
L’exposition suggérera également les filiations ou affinités entre auteurs de différentes générations, à l’instar de la « ligne claire » de la fin des années 1970 (Joost Swarte, Ted Benoit, Floc’h…) qui fit référence aux grands maîtres belges de la bande dessinée des années 1950-1960 : André Franquin, Maurice Tilleux, Will…

[Lire la suite de la présentation de l'exposition ...]

Nicolas de Crécy

Voir le blog de l'exposition

Exposition conçue et réalisée par la Cité de l’architecture & du patrimoine / Institut français d’architecture, avec le concours de la Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l’image (Angoulême), avec le soutien de la RATP

         Palais de Chaillot
         1 place du Trocadéro
         75016 Paris

Dossier de presse # Architecture & BD, la ville dessinée (Pdf - 2031 ko)

[Emploi] ATER à mi-temps à l'EHESS.

Un emploi d'ATER à mi-temps en anthropologie

ouvert à l'EHESS à compter du 1er octobre 2010

Profil : Patrimonialisation et pratiques artistiques et culturelles orales

L’ATER devra assurer un enseignement d’initiation de Master 1 sur la question de la patrimonialisation des pratiques artistiques et culturelles orales en liaison avec la politique dite du « Patrimoine culturel immatériel » telle qu’elle est mise en œuvre, depuis plusieurs années, par l’Unesco. Il ou elle devra tout d’abord posséder une connaissance approfondie de la façon dont cette politique a été élaborée par l’UNESCO ainsi que des changements qu’elle a subis depuis qu’elle a été mise en œuvre. Il ou elle devra en outre posséder une solide expérience de terrain sur une pratique culturelle ou artistique ( savoirs indigènes, performance théâtrale, tradition orale) mise en patrimoine par l’UNESCO afin d’évaluer les effets de cette politique de muséification culturelle sur des pratiques essentiellement orales.

Plus d'informations.

Le dossier de candidature doit être envoyé, par courrier recommandé avec accusé réception,  au plus tard le 27 septembre 2010.

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[Article] Crumbling relics slip through the cracks.

July, 31 2010 | Viet Nam News

Crumbling majesty: A file photo shows the interior of the Giac Vien Pagoda in HCM City. The pagoda has suffered heavy encroachment from nearby developments and wear and tear over many years. — File Photo

HCM CITY — Overgrown with wild grass and weeds, a group of old tower tombs standing in front of an early 19th century pagoda has become a dump site for waste from surrounding households.
The Giac Vien Pagoda in HCM City's District 11, one of the oldest pagodas in the city, has suffered heavy encroachment and damage for many years.
Things are not much better inside the pagoda. Woodworm-infested pillars stand in the main hall and the tiled roofs are in a state of collapse, says Thich Hue Thanh, a monk who has lived in the pagoda for 34 years.
The road leading to the pagoda is constantly flooded during the rainy season and some places inside become drenched when it rains because of leaking roofs, Thanh says.
"State agencies should quickly restore the pagoda to preserve its original architecture and historical value. Because it is a national relic, the pagoda is prevented from undertaking the restoration work on its own," he said.

[ ... Read the full article here ]

[Internet] Candi di Indonesia - [Buddhist and Hindu] Temples of Indonesia

http://candi.pnri.go.id/

Perpustakaan Nasional Republik Indonesia / National Library of the Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

Self-description:

"This site is developed [2000-2005 ed.] by the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia, particularly offered to the Congress of South East Asian Libraries (CONSAL), [http://www.consal.org/] [...]. Temples are mentioned as the theme for the existence of the temples in Indonesia has close relationship with the history of this nation and the state of Indonesia. The [Buddhist and Hindu] temples spreading throughout the archipelago are incredible cultural heritage and highly appreciated; hence, their existence should be broadly well known to the societies."

candi.pnri.go.id

[Article] United States Returns 7 Stolen Ancient Cambodian Sculptures.

Sunday, June 27, 2010 | Art daily.org | 2010 The Associated Press

Cambodian Buddhist monks and officers pray during a ceremony held for artifacts that were returned to Cambodia, at the Cambodian National Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, June 17, 2010. The United States returned seven sculptures from the great Angkorian era on Thursday that had been smuggled out of Cambodia. AP Photo/Heng Sinith.

PHNOM PENH (AP).- The United States returned seven sculptures from the great Angkorian era on Thursday that had been smuggled out of Cambodia.
Cambodian Buddhist monks blessed the artifacts during a handover ceremony at the port of Sihanoukville, said John Johnson, a U.S. embassy spokesman. The sandstone sculptures were recovered by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials during an 2008 raid in Los Angeles. They arrived in Cambodia aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy on Tuesday, Johnson said. The Mercy docked at the seaport for a 13-day mission to provide free medical care to Cambodians. Johnson said the artifacts include two heads of the Buddha, a bas-relief and an engraved plinth. The items date from 1000 to 1500 when the kings of Angkor ruled over an extensive empire and produced some of the world's most magnificent temples, including the famed Angkor Wat complex. Cambodia and the United States signed an agreement to protect Cambodia's cultural heritage in 2003.
In 2007, the U.S. government returned the sandstone sculpture of a celestial dancer, or apsara, dating from the 12th century. [ ... Read the full article ... ]

[Article] Students create virtual-world temple.

3 June 2010 | The Nation | Jirapan Boonnoon

3D technology captures Thai heritage, arts and culture

Internet users can now visit a three-dimensional virtual world of Thailand's past, presenting a new and surprisingly real insight into Thai heritage, arts and culture.
Called 3D Virtual World Heritage Wat Chaiwattanaram, the glimpse into Thailand's history is a joint effort by Kasetsart University, Sun Microsystems and the Inter University Network, UniNet, using Sun Wonderland technology.
Above all else, the project, at niramit.hpcnc.com/WatChaiWatanaram, involves pride in the Thai heritage, by promoting a kind of Internet tourism.
A professor at Kasetsart University's Computer Engineering Department, Putchong Uthayyopas, said the three-dimensional virtual world of Wat Chaiwattanaram had been developed by students of his department.
The Sun Wonderland project, under which it has been developed, provides a Java open-source toolkit for creating collaborative 3D virtual worlds. Users can communicate with high-fidelity immersive audio and share live desktop applications and documents.
The Wonderland system is also completely extensible. Developers and graphic artists can extend its functionality to create entirely new worlds or add new features to existing worlds.
Putchong said the Wat Chaiwattanaram project aimed to investigate the use of a 3D virtual world to recreate a cultural heritage that was in danger of being lost. As it was being hosted by the UniNet infrastructure, it could be used for education. [...Read the full article...]

[Article] RoK institute makes 3D film on Hue’s relic site

2 June 2010 | VNA/VOVNews

The Republic of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) on May 31 handed over a 3D film on the Ho Quyen relic site in the former imperial city of Hue to the city’s preservation centre.
The 10-minute film reenacts the Ho Quyen royal arena where tiger-elephant fights were staged in the audience of the King and the royal court as an offering ritual dedicated to the God and the Earth, under the Nguyen Dynasty (1558-1775).
Keum Gi Hyung, Director of the RoK Culture Centre in Vietnam, said on half of the RoK Culture Heritage General Authority that he hopes the three-dimensional images revived with Korean advanced technologies will be useful for Vietnam in restoring the lost precious heritages.
On the occasion, the Samsung Vina Electronic Company presented the Hue Preservation Centre with a set of equipment, including a TV LED 3D C800055, a blu-ray 3D reader, a home theatre system, and 3D glasses, to help moviegoers enjoy the film.
The movie, made from February 2009 as part of a cultural heritage preservation project between Vietnam and the RoK, will be screened during the upcoming Hue Festival 2010.

[Call for papers] National conference on preservation and promotion of heritage. Deadline extended.

The Official Website of Warisan 2010
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Paper Submission: Deadline Extended

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Due to a number of requests, the deadline for papers submission has been extended to JULY 31st.

(read more...)

Download : Conference Program.

[Article] Can a nation afford its own treasure?

05/11/2010 | The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Dina Indrasafitri

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Middle Eastern traders carrying swords with golden hilts sailed a ship filled with goods such as intricately carved ceramics and glimmering green glass wares from the Eastern Mediterranean. 

Alas, the ship, along with the hundreds of thousands of trade wares, sank in the waters of the archipelago when making its way to the Kalingga kingdom in Central Java.

So went one scenario suggested by Adi Agung Tirtamarta, the CEO of one of the private companies involved in the excavation of over 270,000 artifacts from a sunken ship about 90 miles North West from the city of Cirebon, West Java.

Another scenario suggested that Middle Eastern traders had stopped by in India and China to pick up goods before crossing the Molucca strait and met their final fate in the sea, he said.

Romantic as the tale seemed, the story of its finding, up to the recent auction, which attracted no bidders in Jakarta, had been less so, for it revealed that Indonesia’s sunken treasures might be too costly to handle alone.

Local fishermen were the first to discover the Cirebon wreck, which came to rest more than 50 meters below sea level. They then sold the position to PT Paradigma Putra Sejahtera-Adi Agung’s company.

What is telling is that they did not report the find to the local authorities.

“Perhaps they thought reporting to companies wouldn’t get them any compensation, so they asked the government what companies work in the excavation of sunken cargo from ship wrecks,” Adi Agung said.

The company proposed to the government its survey and excavation plan, which was issued in February 2004. The recovery process, completed in October 2005, took 18 months.

According to the artifacts’ catalogue, the majority of the ceramics found at the wreck were produced during the Five Dynasties in China’s Zhejiang Province, where an early form of porcelain called the Yue ware were produced.

History enthusiasts protested the government’s plan to auction some of the discovered artifacts.

Even the Cirebon Kasepuhan palace urged the government to cancel the auction and preserve the goods for the sake of the nation’s culture. A protester attending the auction, which took place last week, angrily denounced the process.

However, the National Committee of Excavation and Utilization of Precious  Artifacts from Sunken Ships (Pannas BMKT) — a newly formed entity established in 2007 by Presidential Decree — waived off the notion that the country is auctioning away its heritage.

“To be fair, the ceramics found here do not contain Indonesian culture. The ship was passing by, and it sank. Those are all Chinese ceramics,” Culture and Tourism Minister, Jero Wacik, who is also deputy chairman of Pannas BMKT, said during the auction.

He added the state had kept over 970 pieces for the sake of historical collection. The pieces were chosen due to their uniqueness. “We have an archeological team to decide whether an item is unique or not, if a piece was one of a kind, then it would be taken by the state,” he said.

The remaining 271,000 pieces are to be auctioned, with the proceeds being halved between the excavation companies and the government.

“The money [from the auction] will be used for public good,” Jero said.

Sudirman Saad, Pannas BMKT’s secretary-general, said the artifacts that are to be preserved by the state were being kept in a government warehouse in Cileungsi, West Java, while the rest were kept in a privately-owned warehouse in Pamulang, South Jakarta.

Despite the safekeeping for culture’s sake, the government had not yet found or built a museum to store the artifacts.

Jero said the cost to build a maritime museum might be too high for the project to be feasible. “We have calculated the cost … about Rp 400 billion [US$44 million], but I don’t think we can ask that from the state budget right now,” he said.

He added the process of surveying and recovering sunken treasures was too costly for the state to handle.

The auction attracted zero bidders, but the government claimed it was a step forward.

Fadel Muhammad, the maritime affairs and fisheries minister, said that during the Soeharto era many underwater artifacts were stolen and sold in auctions without the state given a share of the money.

“With [auctions] happening, what is important is the process is transparent. We are not like we were in the past …” he said.

[Article] New List Aims to Stem Tide of Cambodian Stolen Antiquities.

02 March 2010 | Robert Carmichael | Phnom Penh

Cambodia recently released a publication that it hopes will help reduce the number of artifacts being stolen from sites and temples and sold on the international market.
One thousand years ago, Cambodia's Angkorean empire was at its peak, ruling areas that are now part of Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.
Today, its achievements are admired by two-million foreign tourists who visit Cambodia each year.  Many come to visit the crowning achievement of Angkor Wat, the famed temple-city in the Cambodia's northwest.
But, in recent years, Cambodia's rich cultural heritage has been plundered, with many temples and ancient sites ransacked for statues.  Those trying to preserve the heritage sometimes struggle to do so.
Hab Touch is the outgoing director of the National Museum in Phnom Penh.
He says one method recently adopted to combat the theft of antiquities is the publication of a glossy eight-page brochure. The booklet lists the different categories of Khmer artifacts at risk of being stolen and smuggled abroad.
The publication, which is called the Red List, was drawn up in conjunction with the International Council of Museums.
The Red List will be distributed to Cambodian border and customs officials, as well as to museums and auction houses overseas, as part of a strategy to combat the illicit trade.
"I hope that the Red List will also play an important [role] in protecting Cambodian cultural artifacts and I strongly believe that the Red List, in the future, will build more capacity for the protection of Cambodian heritage," he said.
The items on the Red List range from jewelry and weapons to stone heads and bronze statues. The brochure lists beads from more than 2,000 years back and wooden items from just a century ago.
It is, in short, a comprehensive time capsule of Cambodian artistic achievement.
Douglad O'Reilly is the director of Heritage Watch, an organization set up to combat the plunder of Cambodia's cultural heritage. O'Reilly says the problem of looting is widespread.
"I think that the problem is fairly substantial.  We are finding that in rural areas there is quite a lot of activity.  There has been, since about 2000, a significant amount of heritage destruction at archaeological sites that date especially to the period from 500 BC to 500 AD," he said.  "So people are excavating illegally a lot of cemetery sites in the search for carnellian and agate beads and glass beads and other artifacts."
O'Reilly applauds the idea behind the Red List, saying it has the potential to reduce dramatically the number of items being smuggled across the border -- as long as the brochures printed in Khmer and Thai actually reach the officials at the border posts. (...)

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- Photo : R. Carmichael / A wall relief stolen in 1998 from Banteay Chhmar temple in north-western Cambodia, and later returned from Thailand. It now stands in the National Museum in Phnom Penh.
- Source : VOA News.