scholarly journals Introduction: Transitions from late prehistory to early historic periods in mainland Southeast Asia, c. early to mid-first millennium CE

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Murphy ◽  
Miriam T. Stark
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
World System ◽  
Selective Adaptation ◽  
Southeast Asians ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
The Past ◽  
First Millennium ◽  
External Events

Studies of early Southeast Asia focus largely on its ‘classical states’, when rulers and their entourages from Sukhothai and Ayutthaya (Thailand), Angkor (Cambodia), Bagan (Myanmar), Champa and Dai Viet (Vietnam) clashed, conquered, and intermarried one another over an approximately six-century-long quest for legitimacy and political control. Scholarship on Southeast Asia has long held that such transformations were largely a response to outside intervention and external events, or at least that these occurred in interaction with a broader world system in which Southeast Asians played key roles. As research gathered pace on the prehistory of the region over the past five decades or so, it has become increasingly clear that indigenous Southeast Asian cultures grew in sophistication and complexity over the Iron Age in particular. This has led archaeologists to propose much greater agency in regard to the selective adaptation of incoming Indic beliefs and practices than was previously assumed under early scholarship of the nineteenth and early to mid-twentieth century.

scholarly journals The case for proto-Dvāravatī: A review of the art historical and archaeological evidence

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 366-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Fifth Century ◽  
Archaeological Evidence ◽  
Strong Case ◽  
The Past ◽  
Art Historians ◽  
Iron Age I ◽  
First Millennium ◽  
Western Language

The mid-first millennium CE represents a crucial period in the emergence of early polities in Southeast Asia. However, disagreement remains between archaeologists and art historians as to the precise dating of this shift from prehistory to history. This article focuses on the Dvāravatī period and re-evaluates evidence in Thai and Western language publications. A growing number of sites excavated over the past two decades in particular show occupation from c. the fourth to fifth century onwards while others provide a continual sequence stretching back well into the Iron Age. I argue that evidence from these sites makes a strong case for postulating a proto-Dvāravatī period spanning c. the fourth to fifth centuries. In doing so this article proposes this period as the timeframe within which the nascent traits and characteristics of what becomes Dvāravatī in the seventh to ninth centuries are present and gradually developing.

Hanoi and Its Uneasy Neighbors

Worldview ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 23 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 17-20
Author(s):  
Noordin Sopiee
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Fair Share ◽  
Internal Dynamics ◽  
The Past ◽  
Leon Trotsky ◽  
Conventional Warfare ◽  
The Military

AbstractLeon Trotsky said that those who yearned for the quiet life had no right to be born in the twentieth century. The lover of the quiet life certainly had no right to be in Southeast Asia in the past year. The speed of events, many of them unexpected and “irrational,” has left a trail littered with hasty analyses and wrong predictions (to which this article will no doubt contribute its fair share). It is plain enough, however, that the dust has not yet settled; neither the Kampuchean question nor the recent thrust of Sino-Vietnamese relations have run their course. It is also undeniable that too little is known about the internal dynamics of decisionmaking that resulted in the first and second open inter-Communist wars in history.The Vietnamese invasion of Kampuchea demonstrated the role and value of conventional warfare—a point to remember in an age when war by conventional means appears to many as a thing of the past. It is natural for regimes fighting guerrilla wars to be mesmerized by those struggles, but it is worth noting how few governments have been toppled by guerrilla wars and how many have been overturned by other means. Even in the military theorizing of the Communists, the guerrilla's place is at the beginning of revolutionary wars; the end game is still reserved for conventional military means.

Historicising “Modernity” in Southeast Asia

1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Watson Andaya
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Traditional Culture ◽  
Recent History ◽  
Southeast Asians ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Historical Perspectives ◽  
Western Influence ◽  
Economic Control

AbstractThe term “modernity” implies Western influence and the weakening of beliefs and practices associated with traditional culture. Although it is increasingly used in reference to contemporary Southeast Asia because of the region's current economic growth, there seems little room for historical perspectives. This paper takes up the idea that if we broaden our understanding of modernity in Southeast Asia so that it is not restricted to recent history, we may see evidence of a modern spirit in earlier times. Although being modern became increasingly linked to Europe, Southeast Asians never rejected their own past. However the eclectic nature of “modernity” in Southeast Asia was undermined as “modern” ideas and practices came increasingly from Europe, to be inevitably associated with Europe's political and economic control.

scholarly journals THE INVISIBLE MOATS OF THE MUN RIVER VALLEY, NE THAILAND: THE EXAMINATION OF WATER MANAGEMENT DEVICES AT MOUNDED SITES THROUGH GROUND PENETRATING RADAR (GPR)

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Duke ◽  
Nigel J Chang ◽  
Ian Moffat ◽  
Wayne Morris
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Ground Penetrating Radar ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
The Past ◽  
Ground Penetrating ◽  
Non Destructive

<p>The Mun River valley is well known for its moat-bound mounded archaeological sites that are usually associated with Iron Age occupation (~500BC- AD500).  The investigation of these sites has provided a wealth of information on the changing social and environmental conditions during prehistory.  In recent years, research has identified a greater diversity of site morphologies in the region, many of which, importantly, do not appear to have moats surrounding them.  This paper seeks to investigate whether the apparently ‘non-moated’ mound site of Non Klang (Nong Hua Raet village) was actually moated in the past, and if such, now in-filled features can be investigated through non-destructive Ground Penetrating Radar methodology.  Additionally, while large external moats can be observed in the modern day topography at sites such as Ban Non Wat, excavation has demonstrated that further, invisible, water management features exist beneath the surface within the current mound boundary of the site.  These are probably Iron Age precursors to the later more extensive and still visible moats.  This paper seeks to answer several fundamental questions: What application can GPR have at mounded sites in Southeast Asia?  Do invisible moats exist?  How will this affect our understanding of the broader prehistoric landscape in the Upper Mun River Valley?  </p>

Politics and power

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Collis ◽  
Raimund Karl
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Political Development ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Power Bases ◽  
Major Area ◽  
The Past ◽  
The North ◽  
First Millennium ◽  
Source Of Information ◽  
Written Sources

Reconstruction of Iron Age social and political structures relies initially on written sources, but classical texts are both biased in how they describe institutions, especially among other peoples, and patchy in time and space. From the mid-first millennium BC, we get details on how polities such as Athens, Sparta, and Rome functioned, but these are not representative of other Greek and Italian peoples, let alone non-Mediterranean societies. The second source of information is archaeology, especially burials, but also settlements. The chapter discusses social and political development using both a core–periphery (Mediterranean societies were more complex than those in the north) and an evolutionary model, though not one which necessarily assumes increasing complexity. The varying nature of individual power bases is also considered. A major area of contention (including between the authors) is the extent to which we can back-project documented societies into the past or into other contexts.

Secularism, Religion, and Democracy in Southeast Asia

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Public Realm ◽  
National Politics ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Religion And Democracy ◽  
Intellectual Environment

The return of religion is most paradoxical, as in many parts of the world that take pride in their modernity and economic success, religion is emerging as the strongest reason in national politics. In addition, it is increasingly acknowledged that organized religion is not disappearing or fading but might even be gaining new forms of assertions. However many Western governments are unable to recognise a language that formulates both spaces, the secular and religious, to build our modern identities. The essays proposed for this volume analyse this post-secular turn as it has evolved in the past two decades. The collection also tries to situate the discourses within the larger intellectual environment shaped by anxieties about religion. This proposed volume is also a serious attempt to explore how the democratic traditions in Southeast Asia have transformed religious beliefs and practices along with the vocabulary of rule and obligation. The contributors question the relationship between modern forms of power and its citizens and the way religion, human rights, and secularism are framed. The chapters challenge the claim that religious traditions are either making nonsensical claims or have dangerous consequences when they enter the public realm. The result, we hope, will be invaluable for experts in this region wanting a broad picture of the debates on secularism and democracy in Southeast Asia.

The Development of Metallurgy in Southeast Asia: Reply to Loofs-Wissowa

1983 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donn Bayard ◽  
Pisit Charoenwongsa
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Southeast Asians ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Media ◽  
Early Metallurgy

We find this a most curious attack, both in tone and in substance; Loofs-Wissowa appears to believe that we, Solheim, Gorman, and the media have been engaged in a conspiracy to cloud the minds of Westerners and Southeast Asians alike on the origins of metallurgy in the region. Loofs-Wissowa evidently feels that Southeast Asian laymen view this question as equal in importance to contemporary issues there (which is of course not the case). He also believes that it is the most burning issue in archaeology since Piltdown or Glozel, splitting the profession into “Believers” in the “long dates” and “Non Believers”. This is again rather an exaggeration; we would estimate the “Believers” to number not more than a few hundred, while the “Non Believers” may be counted on the fingers of one hand (Marschall, Sørensen, Sieveking, and of course Loofs-Wissowa himself). The remainder of the archaeological world (i.e., over 90%) has other questions to occupy it. However, Loofs-Wissowa is certainly correct in pointing out the attention paid to the question of early metallurgy over the past few years, and we welcome this opportunity to counter his arguments and distinguish between our views and those published by the media. This may best be done by first pointing out errors of omission in the facts presented by Loofs-Wissowa, by examining basic errors in his conceptual framework, and finally by answering the three specific questions he poses.

STUDYING WOMEN AND GENDER IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Watson Andaya
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Women And Gender ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Complementary Relationship ◽  
Regional Characteristic ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Gender

Historians of Southeast Asia have begun to consider the history of women and gender relatively recently, even though the complementary relationship between men and women has long been cited as a regional characteristic. In the last twenty years or so the field has witnessed some important advances, most notably in the study of the twentieth century but also in the preceding periods as well. Generalizations advanced in the past are now being refined through a number of new case studies. The second half of this essay, surveying recent publications primarily in English, focuses on pre-twentieth century history, identifying the areas where research has been most productive and suggesting lines of inquiry that might be profitable in the future.

scholarly journals Of Winged Women and Stone Tombs: Identity and Agency through Iron Age Lycian Mortuary Architecture

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 643
Author(s):  
Stephanie Selover
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Monumental Architecture ◽  
Archaeological Data ◽  
The Past ◽  
The People ◽  
Identity And Agency ◽  
First Millennium ◽  
Mortuary Architecture ◽  
Political Turmoil

The people collectively named the Lycians in modern scholarship are the best represented of the western Anatolian first millennium BC cultures in terms of philological, historical, and archaeological data. This article seeks to better understand the meanings behind Iron Age Lycian mortuary monuments and religious images, and how they reflect Lycian identity and agency in a time of political turmoil. By studying the Lycian mortuary landscape, tombs and images, we can begin to comprehend Lycian perceptions of the afterlife, religion and cultural identity. In particular, we look to the images of the so-called “Harpies” and “Running Men” to better understand evidence of the afterlife, connections to the past and the creation of their own identity of what it means to be Lycian. The study of Lycian mortuary trends, monumental architecture, and religion gives us a small but tantalizing view into the Lycian understanding of religion and death, and how they wielded their own culture as a tool for survival in a politically fraught world.

scholarly journals The invisible moats of the Mun River Valley, NE Thailand: The examination of water management devices at mounded sites through ground penetrating radar (GPR)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Duke ◽  
Nigel Chang ◽  
Ian Moffat ◽  
Wayne Morris
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Ground Penetrating Radar ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
The Past ◽  
Ground Penetrating ◽  
Non Destructive

The Mun River valley is well known for its moat-bound mounded archaeological sites that are usually associated with Iron Age occupation (~500BC- AD500). The investigation of these sites has provided a wealth of information on the changing social and environmental conditions during late prehistory. In recent years, research has identified a greater diversity of site morphologies in the region, many of which, importantly, do not appear to have moats surrounding them. This paper seeks to investigate whether the apparently ‘non-moated’ mound site of Non Klang (Nong Hua Raet village) was actually moated in the past, and if such, now in-filled, features can be investigated using non-destructive Ground-penetrating radar. Additionally, while large external moats can be observed in the modern day topography at sites such as Ban Non Wat, excavation has demonstrated that further, invisible, water management features exist beneath the surface within the current mound boundary of the site. These are probably Iron Age precursors to the later more extensive and still visible moats. This paper seeks to answer several fundamental questions: What application can GPR have at mounded sites in Southeast Asia? Do invisible moats exist? How will this affect our understanding of the broader prehistoric landscape in the Upper Mun River Valley?

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