ANCIENT KEDAH AS A MARITIME POLITY: SITE DISTRIBUTION AND PATTERN OF SETTLEMENT
Abstract
Ancient Kedah was a maritime polity located at the west coast of the Thai-Malay Peninsula between the 2nd-14th Century C.E. These settlements functioned as the exchange and distribution centres for local and foreign goods, positioning Ancient Kedah as part of the long-distance trade network. This network of ports connected Ancient Kedah with different trade and cultural hubs of South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia. As a maritime polity, Ancient Kedah was a network or confederation of coastal and riverine settlements located along the northwest coast of the Thai-Malay Peninsula. The economic and population centre for Ancient Kedah was located in the Bujang Valley, a port-industry where most of the archaeological remains were concentrated, which can be dated from the 6th to the 14th Century C.E. Archaeological sites within the Bujang Valley were clustered around three main locations, which are Sungai Batu, Sungai Muda and Sungai Bujang, each having specific economic functions. This paper attempts to review the distribution and chronology of archaeological sites in the Bujang Valley, as well as other riverine-coastal sites in Krabi, Trang, Satun, Perlis and Perak, and contextualize them with historical records to map the pattern of settlement of Ancient Kedah as an intergrated network of polities.
Author
Nasha Rodziadi Khaw Centre for Global Archaeological Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Assit.Prof. Dr.Pipad Krajaejun Dept. of History, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Thammasat University
Why Do We Have to Distinguish between Mainland and Maritime Southeast Asia? The Dynamic of Interactions, Cultural Sharing, and Cultural Differences
Abstract
The term “Southeast Asia” officially emerged during the military operations of World War II. Since the 1940s, the region has been divided into two distinct areas: the mainland and maritime regions. The distinctions between these two regions have been explored in numerous archaeological studies. However, in the context of Thailand, an archaeological approach that focuses primarily on the mainland states of the Chao Phraya Basin is often employed to analyze sites in the Thai-Malay Peninsula and coastal areas. This paper aims to address the limitations of utilizing a mainland-centric archaeological framework in this context. Additionally, it will demonstrate the interactions and cultural exchanges between the mainland and maritime regions by examining archaeological evidence from the first millennium CE, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of these regions.
Keywords: Southeast Asia, mainland, maritime, Thai-Malay Peninsula, Chao Phraya Basin
Author
Assit.Prof. Dr. Pipad Krajaejun (Dept. of History, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Thammasat University)
Pipad Krajaejun earned his PhD in History of Art and Archaeology in 2023 at SOAS, University of London, and his B.A. in Archaeology (1st class honour) at the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University in 2002. Pipad’s PhD research focused on post-Bayon or Uthong art in Thailand, and he conducted many archaeological surveys and excavations. His thesis presented the main argument that the misleading interpretation of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries at the Chao Phraya River Basin historical sites resulted from Thai national discourse. Since 2021, Pipad has served as the director of many archaeological projects about protohistory and early history, focusing on Suvarnabhumi. He did archaeological surveys in a vast area of southern Thailand. Pipad is also of interest to the national education system. He serves on the committee responsible for improving the national history master plan. Pipad is a consultant for the parliament’s committee on developing the Act for ethnic groups and indigenous people. He is a member of the council of the Siam Society.
Climate Change, Merit Making, and Heritage: The Impact of Flood and Restoration Ancient Water Infrastructures in Bagan
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of recent renovations on ancient water management infrastructures in the World Heritage site of Bagan, focusing on the intersection of climate change, merit making, and heritage preservation. Climate change and mismanagement have posed significant threats to Bagan’s cultural heritage, with frequent flooding and improper restoration techniques leading to damage and destruction. Through an examination of Buddhist merit making practices, the research aims to find sustainable solutions for heritage restoration that mitigate further harm. By developing better management practices and aligning merit making with conservation principles, it is possible to renovate and restore Bagan’s heritage while safeguarding its integrity for future generations. This study contributes to the broader discourse on heritage conservation, highlighting the importance of integrating cultural practices and climate adaptation strategies into restoration efforts.
Keywords: Bagan, Climate Change, Flood, Heritage Preservation, Management, Merit Making.
Author
Saw Tun Lin Consultant, SEAMEO SPAFA
saw@seameo-spafa.org
Archaeological theory and the assessment of Southeast Asia’s ancient past
Abstract
Contemporary understandings of ancient cultures in Southeast Asia were formulated over the course of the 20th century. These formulations followed the approach of culture-history. Artifacts and works of art were identified, organized into categories, and labelled as historical periods. This preference for applying the culture-history approach to the study of ancient sites and artifacts from across the region impacted how the past is perceived and influenced the way history is studied and taught. The close adherence to the culture-history approach also led many scholars to make assumptions about the past based on predictable patterns which on the surface appear to be evident. New archaeological sites are identified from time to time, and new artifacts come to light, but the tendency remains to assess and interpret such discoveries following the culture-history approach, forming the foundation for understanding Southeast Asia’s past.
In this discussion, a case will be made for the benefit of utilizing the processual approach to reassess the early historic period of Southeast Asia. Processual archaeology became a popular theoretical approach among American archaeologists in the 1960s, but the first generation of Southeast Asian archaeologists were trained prior to this, following the culture-history approach, commonly practiced in the 1950s and before. As such, the culture-history approach was already preferred among scholars in the region, and had been written into textual sources used as archaeology training manuals, meaning the processual approach never gained traction among Southeast Asian archaeologists. Arguably, the processual approach offers a distinct alternative methodology for assessing and interpreting the ancient past; it also allows for reassessment of the numerous archaeological finds from past decades for which the evidential potential is typically considered to be already established.
Author
Hunter I. Watson, PhD
Senior Research Fellow
Center for Khmer Studies (CKS)
Hunter Watson holds a PhD in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore and an MA in Oriental Epigraphy from Silpakorn University, in Bangkok. He is a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Khmer Studies, in Siem Reap, where he is undertaking an archaeological investigation into the transborder region between Thailand and Cambodia. He also serves as Managing Editor of SPAFA Journal, an open-access journal for the archaeology and fine arts of Southeast Asia, published by SEAMEO-SPAFA.