This time, on the road from Paris!

Hello blogosphere! As always, my apologies for the lack of updates recently. So, this is to confirm I am still alive, very busy at work plumbing the chemical secrets of the ancient dead (the usual), writing, applying for jobs, etc. I'm on the road again, this time from the European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists conference, to be held at Universite Nanterre de la Defence.

Myself and a colleague will co-chair a panel on antiquities trade issues, with situations in Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, and perhaps maritime Indonesia being covered. Everyone is really here, to be honest, to enjoy as much of Paris as possible! I will live Tweet as much as I can (given the very spotty WiFi on everyone's phones, apparently), and write again to debrief once home on the 12th. Happy 4th of July to all my American colleagues or readers!

"Live blogging" from Dublin

As promised, this is a brief report of the activities and goings on that transpired at the 14th EurASEAA conference in Dublin; just finished yesterday! I am pleased to announce that overall, it was a roaring success! My panel, entitled "Living and Dying in Prehistoric Southeast Asia: Advances in Human Bioarchaeological Science," proceeded smoothly (in my humble opinion), even though two individuals had to withdraw at the last moment. I am confident that I have begun a positive trend of ensuring a bioarchaeological presence at this conference, and that my colleagues can carry this forward in two years time!

Topics covered in my panel included: New isotopic analysis (migration and diet) research from sites in Cambodia (Iron Age), Thailand (multiple time periods) and the Phillipines (multiple sites and periods), preliminary details (age, sex, stature, pathology, etc.) of a new Pleistocene-aged skeleton from Java, the preliminary results of tooth blackening (i.e. deliberate staining) analysis from two Iron Age Cambodian sites, and my own work on "biomechanical" (i.e. mobility and activity) before and during the transition to agriculture in northern Vietnam. The conference itself was held in the incredible Chester Beatty library and Dublin Castle, excellent venues indeed, and our hosts, from the University College Dublin, went out of their way to make everything work. This is exactly why I prefer smaller conferences; for their cordiality, camaraderie, ease of networking and fun!

Other panels ranged from new research in rock art across the region to ceramics, historic period Khmer archaeology and the relevance of archaeology to "modern" questions of heritage, site conservation, governmental policy and educational outreach. While the antiquities trade was not addressed specifically in any talk (in favor of discussion of baseline archaeological research), certain presentations, such as the discussion of the excavation/illicit salvage of a 13th century ship wreck off Java) brought up what is by now a firmly ingrained topic.

Other talks within the "contemporary relevance" panel addressed historical instances of theft or illicit trade, and challenged the idea that Western concepts of  what constitutes tangible and intangible heritage (as defined by UNESCO) might not be so applicable to Southeast Asia. This has been suggested for some time, but it bares repeating, especially as attempts to quantify, document, and ultimately  prevent looting in the first place continue (slowly) across the region. All in all, I feel that all delegates left very enthusiastic (if not somewhat melancholy, like me, in the realization that years can pass before seeing ones. close colleagues/friends again).

My time on the road before Dublin has also been a time of adventure, exploration, good multi-cultural food, great pubs, and incredible scenery. Numerous archaeological museums, both "encyclopedic" and not, including the British Museum, Museum of London, National Museum of Scotland and National Museum of Ireland (and numerous smaller ones) will deserve discussion in their own right in due time. I was also very fortunate to meet and discuss the issues with almost everyone involved in the new Trafficking Culture project of the University of Glasgow; to me, a great honour! I look forward to much collaboration with them in future. In two days, I set out to see the sights, scenery and, of course, archaeology, of more rural western Ireland. For those who read this, please wish me safe travels, good weather, and luck!

A report on the Berlin conference...finally!

Ok, I've finally found time to gather my thoughts and write about goings-on at the EurASEAA conference just passed in Berlin. All in all, a roaring success! Held at the Free University of Berlin (nestled in the midst of a leafy residential area on the Southwest edge of the city...unfortunately far from a diversity of food options), but still within quick metro ride to the heart of Berlin, and the conference venues were sleek, modern, and provided excellent acoustics. Participation stood at around 200 people (by my estimate); small but comfortable as conferences go, with only two-three overlapping sessions at any one time, and easy movement between rooms.

Sessions covered topics ranging from new research on prehistoric exchange networks in beads and glass, to maritime archaeology itself (shipwrecks, boat construction, merchant marine iconography etc.), new insights into the Southeast Asian Palaeolithic period (i.e. the "Hoabinhian"), a small representation of bioarchaeologists/palaeoanthropologists (like myself), and a session covering/reassessing the terminology, and archaeological, linguistic, and skeletal evidence we use to define and understand the still-vague "Neolithic" period (c. 6,000-3,500BP?). This was where I presented...the "only bioarchaeologist in the village." Regardless, I feel that our session came together particularly well, raising many critical issues. The need for more data and more excavations is never ending in archaeology, especially in this still under-explored region.

Other panels discussed new GIS/geophysical/archaeological work on the Angkorian road system, the increasing number of late prehistoric (c. 500BC-50AD) sites knows from the Mekong Delta region (some represented by very large, but partially looted burial grounds), new rock art research in Malaysia, new archaeological survey work in the Laos/Cambodia border region, new excavations in Sumatra, and even the discovery of vast burial grounds, with associated settlement sites and metal weapon/jewelry manufacturing centres, in the still under-explored Yunnan-Guizhou area of southern China, dating to as early as 3,300BP. Sessions were well moderated, timely, and usually feedback was relevant. Several authors had books for sale, and Prof. Ian Glover (something of a deity in this field) was signing copies of an edited volume devoted to his life and times. I got mine!

Although catering was a bit lacking, we all had a lovely reception at the German Archaeological Institute and the Ethnological Museum, with mid-conference tours on offer to the Pergamon Museum and Neues Museum; repositories of the early 1900's German contribution to both nascent world archaeology (mostly Classical), and the "encyclopedic museum," with all its pros and cons as far as Heritage and the antiquities trade is concerned. Seeing the original "Helen of Troy" artifacts from the Schleimann excavation, and the original bust of Nefertiti (along side impressive exhibits on European prehistory etc.) was certainly awe-inspiring, displayed as they were within suitably contextualized exhibits, but the same arguments can be leveled against these institutions as can be directed towards the major museums of any former colonialist power regarding their retention of such artifacts for so many decades; enough already! It was fascinating to me to learn so much more about Germany's pre-and post World War role in the development of archaeology as a discipline, in the city to which so many early excavations returned, and from which many of Germany's current contributors to Southeast Asian archaeology hail from.

Throughout the conference, only minimal attention was given to the issue of looting, or sites under threat from such activities, but it was clear to me that many of the new sites discovered and recently excavated were only done so because archaeologists found them first; not due to any sudden uptick in the protection of the region's prehistoric past. Of course, this is a problem needing to be further monitored, as the antiquities trade continues to take its tole. While the new research disseminated at the conference certainly represents (for the most part) cutting edge analyses of new discoveries, it remains to be seen how the Southeast Asian archaeological community itself will continue to address, and more proactively deal with, the looting problem...to the extent that we can control it. Thus, while still presenting new research, this blog will continue to put the antiquities trade front and centre....where it belongs!

Take 2

Ok, maybe promising "live blogging" when on a conference schedule, still jetlagged, and having many colleagues to catch up with was a bit of a stretch! However, I can report that I took copious notes which I'll share the highlights of very soon; attending more than 3/4ths of all presentations, and leaning many new things about SE Asian art history/archaeology...the bulk of these new discoveries remaining under threat. I am in New York for one week now to visit SAFE (savingantiquities.org) colleagues. A real update soon, I promise.

Live blogging from Berlin

I am currently at the 13th Annual European Association for Southeast Asian archaeologists conference in Berlin, Germany. I will present preliminary results from my ongoing dissertation work, and I hope to give you, dear readers, one or two updates while here regarding the cutting edge research occurring in the region today. Although only one session specifically deals with heritage conservation, the looting problem is one that all Western archaeologists in collaboration with local colleagues have to continue to address. So, stay tuned for more....