Click the star to add/remove an item to/from your individual schedule.
You need to be logged in to avail of this functionality.
Log in
- Convenors:
-
Annabel Vallard
(Université Libre de Bruxelles / Laboratoire d'anthropologie des mondes contemporains)
Bérénice Bellina-Pryce (C.N.R.S (National Centre for Scientific Research))
Olivier Evrard (IRD)
- Location:
- 1. Salle de cours rez-de-jardin MAE
- Start time:
- 7 July, 2015 at
Time zone: Europe/Paris
- Session slots:
- 2
Short Abstract:
Archaeologists are confronted with requests from local communities to translate their researches into local museums. How are the histories dealt with in the Southeast Asian community museums
Long Abstract:
Everywhere in the world, recent decades have witnessed demands for locally-centered histories, often related to regional claims for recognition at a national level and for local histories and local/site museums. Internet and new technologies have enabled new forms of intense contacts between local communities and N.G.O or archaeologists finding means to have their voice heard
Archaeologists, especially in various regions of the American continent, in Australia and New Zealand where native indigenous were able to claim ancestral rights on their heritage have come to collaborate with communities and anthropologists and to develop new approaches to archaeology. Taking into account the multiple practices, histories produced and demands implies questioning each disciplines' foundations: a reflexivity that concerns as much archaeologists, anthropologists and the increasing number of other people getting involved into heritage (Hodder 2008). Another challenge is for museography to display these different discourses into one of those local heritage centres whether called site museums or ecomuseums desired by the local people.
We would like to confront experiences in Southeast Asia that archaeologists, historians, anthropologists, museologists or other academic faced when dealing with displaying the different histories that people want to hear from their cultural or natural heritage. How are the pasts dealt with in the Southeast Asian community museums? Is Southeast part of a global trend or does it show specificities in the prolixity of local museums' demands?
Accepted papers:
Session 1Noel Tan (SEAMEO-SPAFA)
Paper short abstract:
In May 2015, the discovery of a new rock art site in Myanmar was announced. The Gabarni Rock Art Site, known locally as Myanhanauk, is a cluster of sandstone rock shelters locate near the foothills of the Pae Dwe Mountain in western Shan State. It stands just 11km or a day's journey from the famous Padalin Caves, another rock art site with material dating from 7,000 - 12,000 years old. Despite their proximity, the rock art of the two sites do not have much similarities. This presentation will discuss the site, its paintings and context, and plans for archaeological investigation and stabilisation in the near future.
Christine Hawixbrock (EFEO)
Paper short abstract:
This presentation aims to question the impact a site museum can have on local communities and to what extent access to the museum, acces to the sculptures presented and by extension, to the ancient history of the site can help these people to identify with their heritage and thereby to save it.
Paper long abstract:
The Wat Phu site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2001. In 2004, a museum opened to the feet of the temple, for exposing a part of the large collection of Khmer and Lao sculptures, which have up till now been kept far from the local communities (and the public eyes), this fact leaving them ignorant of their heritage and unable to claim it.
If the museum is now visited by many tourists Far Eastern and Western, what about for the local population? Pay the entrance for the museum limits the access of the local people. Much more than the Khmer and Lao art, these are contemporary sculptures that illustrate some local legends, presented at the museum entrance, which are venerated. They don't come at Wat Phu because it's an archaeological site but because of it religious value, scene of one of the largest Buddhist festival in Laos. While the archaeological site is in danger and gradually disappears because of rapid urbanization, how to invite local people to be aware of and to identify themselves with a heritage in which they do not recognize themselves and which they do not understand.
Viengkeo Souksavatdy (Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism)
Paper short abstract:
The local museum of Vilabuli District is a symbol of the collaboration between the private sector, universities and the government agencies and proves the realistic policy of the Lao Government with regard to the protection of national heritage.
Paper long abstract:
Laos has many significant archaeological sites though very few of them have been excavated. The mining operations in the country is one of the major projects which occupied wide spread area and cause the ground surface disturbance. The eventual assessment on the Physical Cultural Resources is required by the government as well as the by the financial institutions prior to grant approval for concession. Sepon Mining owned by Mineral and Metal Group - MMG started its operations since 2003, a quite important typology of the bronze artifacts has been identified within the area. As preventive measures to safeguard all buried cultural properties the chance finds procedures have been developed in parallel with the series of archaeological salvage excavations. The local museum of Vilabuli District is a symbol of the collaboration between the private sector, universities and the government agencies and proves the realistic policy of the Lao Government with regard to the protection of national heritage.
Nigel Chang (James Cook University)
Paper short abstract:
This paper compares the development and (current) reality of the Ban Non Wat Community Learning Centre (Thailand) and the Vilabouly Cultural Hall (Laos). Both have risen out of archaeological projects however in most other ways their contexts - and their communities - are very different.
Paper long abstract:
This paper compares the development and (current) reality of the Ban Non Wat (BNW) Community Learning Centre (Thailand) and the Vilabouly Cultural Hall (Laos). The BNW Community Learning Centre has developed out of over a decade of archaeological research in the village of Ban Non Wat - with significant participation by local residents. The relatively strong and influential local university was heavily involved in supporting the development of the centre.
In contrast, the Vilabouly Cultural Hall has developed out of archaeological mitigation work supported by an international mining concern as part of it community relations efforts and in response to Lao National Heritage legislation. Further, a number of different ethnic groups and languages are represented in the local district community.
While the broader contexts are very different, in both cases the emphasis is on contemporary community learning & development. However the 'displays' are very much archaeological. Is there a disjunction here? Is it a matter of the 'aims justify the means' ? Or, are we over-thinking the whole thing?
Jacques Ivanoff (Musée de l'Homme) Fabienne Galangau Quérat (Muséum national d'Histoire Naturelle - Paris)
Paper short abstract:
This paper aims to present an inter-communitarian heritage project which purposes is to translate knowledge of the Moken's nomadic culture and their long term interactions with their milieu, in between forests, coasts and seas.
Paper long abstract:
Established in the Mergui Archipelago, the Moken live a nomadic, sea-based life. At the margins of the States and isolated during a long period of time, they are experiencing a regional economic integration. On the Myanmar's side, due to industrial fishing and tourism, Moken face major reorganisations. Over the past years, hundred of thousands of Central Burmese settled in the Archipelago and benefit from the Moken's knowledge of the sea to develop flourishing fishing activities. The tragic numerous death of the Moken men in the diving industry, let some of these new comers to intermarry with Moken women. By fear that their children, recognized by the State as Burmese, may not be integrated into the Nation as "real" Burmese, mix-couples advocate for the preservation of Moken's knowledge. As opposed to "cultural zoos" where they are maintained in Thailand, Moken claim for a local museum that enables them to rediscover their past and the voices of their ancestors.
How to develop an interactive museum that may gather together various communities? The museum and an itinerant exhibition made of ancient artefacts and audio-video records may allow locals and visitors to discover an archipelago through an inter-communitarian project based upon the deep knowledge of their ancient inhabitants. The difficulties may be to find an agreement between these communities to nurture and maintain this place of preservation and exchange and to map through the Archipelago the vivid Moken's knowledge of their territory and their intimacy with their environment.
Rasmi Shoocongdej (Silpakorn University)
Paper short abstract:
A major challenge in the globalized world for professional practice is the relationship between archaeologists and capitalism, specifically, the marketing of cultural heritage as archaeological sites, objects and research become valuable commodities for tourism.
Paper long abstract:
While archaeological sites can serve as tourist attractions, research is valued for the production of relevant knowledge, generally concerning cultural identities and historical meanings. Archaeology has become a part of economic development, and archaeologists are working increasingly with the business sector on heritage management in their research areas.
Contemporary archaeologists can no longer focus only on scientific research, they must also work with different interest groups whose use of archaeology may have positive and negative consequences. Archaeologists need to be aware of their ethical and political roles when archaeology is used for economic development and other public policy goals at the local, national and international levels. In recent years the ethical issues involved in working with multiple communities or multi-ethnic groups have become important concerns for archaeologists globally. Thai archaeologists generally have not focused on these issues, although there are many minority ethnic groups in Thailand, especially near the borders with neighboring countries. The challenge now is to integrate professional ethics and multiple communities' views in the heritage management.
This paper will examine how archaeologists negotiate their ethical responsibilities in working with the multiple communities and assist the local control of heritage tourism. Archaeological, anthropological and historical evidences in Mae Hong Son province, a borderland between Thailand and Myanmar will be examined and discussed.
Annabel Vallard (Université Libre de Bruxelles / Laboratoire d'anthropologie des mondes contemporains) Bérénice Bellina-Pryce (C.N.R.S (National Centre for Scientific Research))
Paper short abstract:
This paper proposes a reflexive approach of the fashioning of a local heritage centre in South Thailand. It especially focuses on notions such as the 'multivocality' (Hodder 2003) of the writing of history and of defining and displaying heritage.
Paper long abstract:
Archaeologists are increasingly confronted with demands to create community museums that display not only their findings but also take into account the vision the local populations have of their own past and its meaningfulness in the present. When the Thai-French Archaeological mission in the Thai-Malay Peninsula started its excavation in Chumphon in association with FAD and Silpakorn University in 2005, its members were asked to contribute to the construction of an on-site community museum. Simultaneously however, they were also confronted to multiple and competing interpretations of the past that emanated from various actors and mirrored to some extent social, political or religious affiliations as well as economic interests.
In this paper, we present reflexive preliminary considerations related to the fashioning of this local heritage center in Chumphon through two main lenses. First, how may archaeologists, and anthropologists assist local populations in defining what they want to display as their 'heritage'? Second, how academic interpretations integrate local narratives and imaginaries and how are they sometimes used to sustain political claims? Still at an early stage, we aim to share with scholars engaged into similar experiences in Southeast Asia and Pacific regions notably about the 'multivocality '(Hodder 2003) and 'multisubjectivity' of the writing of history (Jablonka 2014) and the various regimes of historicity (Hartog 2003) that may dialogue or confront while producing new museums.
Mizuho Ikeda (Waseda University )
Paper short abstract:
This paper presents preliminary results of research based on kiln sites in Northern Thailand and a traditional pottery production community in Central Thailand in order to examine the degree of resilience of local identities through the potential of local museums, crafts and tourism.
Paper long abstract:
In Southeast Asia, the return and role of the research materials and results to the local communities has also been a topic of substantial discussion. As a result, many archaeologists encounter a wide range of demands from national, regional and local levels, and may collaborate with the related organizations or communities concerned in order to develop local museums. Archaeologists tend to consider the establishment of local museums as the best way to achieve public outreach and to be optimistic about its efficacy to the local communities. However, this is only one side of many stories; surely others have different views, dynamics and even current trends become important factors. The reality is that in many cases the story of local museums seems to be swallowed by more powerful national narratives.
This paper presents preliminary results of research based on kiln sites in Northern Thailand and a traditional pottery production community in Central Thailand. It compares the Ban Bo Suak kiln site, Nan province and Wiang Bua Kiln site, Phayao province in Northern Thailand with Ko Kret Island just outside Bangkok, which became very famous for the production of traditional Mon ceramics. The two kiln sites in northern Thailand were excavated by the Fine Arts Department and Silpakorn University and are recognized as two of the most representative examples of the practice of public archaeology in Thailand. By comparing the two studies, the paper shows the degree of resilience of local identities through the potential of local museums, crafts and tourism.
Atina Winaya (National Center for Archaeology, Indonesia)
Paper short abstract:
Trowulan, the former capital of the Kingdom Majapahit, currently suffers damages caused by the local brick-making industry. The Majapahit Museum can help building bridges between authorities and local communities by giving a voice to local histories as well as to the archaeologists' discourse.
Paper long abstract:
Majapahit is one of the biggest Kingdom in Indonesia which is based in East Java and existed between the 14th and 15th century. Trowulan, the former capital of the Kingdom Majapahit, currently suffers damages caused by the development of the local brick-making industry. This activity destroys many structures and artifacts that are still buried and that remain to be studied by archaeologists.
In such a context, the Majapahit Museum in Trowulan can play a key-role in raising the awareness of local citizens and explaining them how significant the site is. The museum will be able to introduce the Majapahit Era, including its history, artifacts, structures, monuments, values, and also the importance for the Indonesian nation.
However, the museum will not reach its goal if stays out of touch with the reality of the people. In order to reach local communities, the museum should not only be a place that teaches the archaeologists' point of view. It should also value the knowledge of local communities and make place for their perception of the past. If we can preserve Trowulan together, the site could also bring invaluable cultural economic benefits to local communities through the development of the tourism sector.
However, in order to do so, Indonesian museum needs to change its mindset from "object oriented" into "people oriented". Therefore, there still a lot of work for the Majapahit Museum to complete. If the museum succeeded, the result will bring a big impact to the safety of Trowulan site.